Whispers of the Water
by Dreylen
Summary: SI Sorry to those who don't like it, but that's what it is. A young girl is pulled into Legaia by a mysterious force, and travels to keep her foster sister's love interest alive.
1. Prologue: Gift from the Seas

I apologize if there's anyone who doesn't like and feels insulted that I'm posting a SI fanfic in this catagory, but really, this fic has been whirling about in this insomniac head of mind for far too long. There are a few endings that I can envision, but only one of them I'm actually likely to go along with. And I can tell you already now, that it is quite likely that I will give this story a sequel. Ever since I thought of one particular scene, I have been planning it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Legaia.

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Whispers of the Water

Prologue: Gift of the Seas

Shera grumbled to herself as she plopped down on the couch, letting her bag thud to the floor like a hammer. Her older brother walked out of his room, unwrapping something that probably came in the mail earlier.

**"What's wrong, Sher? Bad day at school?"** The girl glared at him, showing him exactly what she thought of his asking it. **"Right. Stupid question."** The boy flipped the plastic item he held around to show her what it was. **"Just got it. What do you say we try it out?"** Shera sighed a bit and stood, stretching her sore back. She pulled off her jacket and dropped it on the edge of the couch, revealing her tunic shirt.

Shera was a young girl, almost always with a scowl on her face. She dressed a lot differently from her peers, which made them pick on her, which in turn made her almost anti-social. The only person that she was even somewhat decent to was her older brother, Deven. Both of them were impossibly skinny, even though they both ate like they were survivors of a food shortage. Deven was kind to his sister because of how poorly he knew people treated her.

Both of them wore what might have been termed 'antiquated' clothing on an almost everyday basis, like tunic shirts and old-fashioned pants. Shera wore her hair only down to her shoulders, but her bangs were cropped short, barely reaching her eyebrows even while wet. Deven had very short hair, but was fond of wearing bandannas as headbands.

**"Sure, why not. Don't see how it could hurt."** Deven frowned slightly at her normal cynical view. Kids shouldn't have such a negative view on the world, in his opinion. Granted, his sister was also a lot more intelligent than most kids even his age, her emotional state was a wreck. By the tender age of seven, she was jaded almost to the level of what her brother expected a soldier to be.

The light grey playstation was turned on and opened to accept the disc. Shera slid off the couch to sit on the ground, pressing the bottoms of her feet together as if it would help ease the pain in her feet. She yawned as the disc started up. They watched the intro, Shera lifting an eye at the clothes that the only woman shown was wearing. It was rather tight, not something she wanted to think of ever wearing.

As Deven started up the game, the girl yawned again, moving her shoulders forwards without moving her hands from where they were resting on her feet. She read over the words scrolling across the screen, storing the information for future reference. That was the reason the information was right at the beginning, after all.

The screen went black for a little while, and the sound of ocean waves came out of the speakers. Shera's eyes widened a bit as she saw more text appearing on the screen.

_'Shera, Deven._

_Are you prepared?_

_The Seru can only be stopped when two from another world are present.'_

Deven was completely still, staring at the screen with frightened eyes. The sound of the waves hadn't stopped. In fact, they had grown louder, more realistic. Deven and Shera turned to look at each other at the same time, confusion and shock in their eyes. Neither of them saw the next line of text that appeared, as their surroundings flashed, changing from a slightly cold, dry living room into the warm, muggy, thin air over an ocean.

_'It does not matter whether you are or are not. You are needed.'_

Shera screamed as they fell, not a noise that was often heard from her. Deven was silent, but was trying to reach for his little sister. They were slowly drifting apart from each other as they plummeted. As Deven watched, his sister faded into unconsciousness, falling limply towards the water.

**"Shera!!"**

Tetsu sighed as he watched the boys of the village practicing their kicks in the sand as he sat on the steps, and let his eyes drift out to the sea that protected Rim Elm. A shape in the waves drew his attention, and he stood, walking to the edge of the water to get a better look as it drifted towards the town.

One of the men that had been sorting out the fishing nets noticed the monk's attention on something other than the boys, and looked to see what it was. As soon as his eyes fell on it, he yelled for one of his friends to help him with a boat, and shoved it into the water, paddling out to the shape and hauling it into the vessel. The rest of the village had heard that something was going on at the water's edge, and gathered to see. As the men rowed back to the village, the boys of the village climbed up to the bluff to have a better view of what was going on.

**"It's a child!"**

**"What's a child doing in the ocean?"**

**"...Soaked to the bone..."**

**"Bring the child up, he needs to get clean before the salt dries on him. Look at those scratches on his arms!"**

Tetsu watched as the few women left in the village scolded their men into carrying the child to the elders' house, where the child would be able to recover. He looked up at the bluff just in time to see his young students scampering away to follow and hopefully get a better look at the newcomer.

**"Looks like I won't be able to get them to practice anymore today,"** he mumbled to himself, rubbing his head. When he had first arrived, he had despaired at teaching any child, but that seemed to be his job now. With their short attention spans, it was almost impossible to keep them occupied if there was something else they would rather be doing, but they learned faster than an adult did.

Shera groaned a bit as she woke up, feeling blankets over her. Her whole body ached, and her arms burned. She opened her grey-blue eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling over her, and started to sit up.

_'Well, there goes the thought that I passed out and Deven put me in bed.'_ A woman's voice to her left made her look that way as the said woman entered the room.

**"Oh! You're awake, at last!"** Shera blinked a couple of times, confused. **"You shouldn't be sitting up. Lay down, please."** Shera stayed sitting, looking at the woman carefully. The woman huffed a bit, and bustled over to gently shove her prone again. The girl frowned at her, but continued to watch her silently. The woman seemed to notice her watchfulness after a moment, and smiled at her. **"Yes? Is there something you want?"** Shera blinked again, her eyes still the stormy blue-grey that hid her emotions.

**"Where am I?"** The woman smiled, having expected the question.

**"Rim Elm. You were lucky Tetsu spotted you when he did. Too much longer, and you might have died."** Shera's lips twitched in a slight frown.

**"Who's Tetsu?"** The woman turned to the wardrobe that was in the corner, putting away clothing.

**"Tetsu is the monk who teaches the boys of the village to fight so they can survive a Seru attack when they go out to hunt once they're men. Tell me, child...What's your name?"** Shera sat up, not feeling comfortable laying down when talking to someone. Before the woman could scold her again, she spoke.

**"It's Shera. Shera Marie."** Shera wrinkled her nose at her full first name. She didn't know why her parents had given her a two-part name when she only went by part of it. The woman's eyes widened a bit at her name, and the girl tilted her head to the side.

**"That's a very pretty name,"** the woman said, not noticing that Shera didn't like it all that much. **"What happened that you were in the ocean, anyway?"** Shera frowned, her eyes focusing on her hands now that they were lying in her lap.

**"I-I'm not sure."** A thought came to her, and her head snapped up, her eyes wide and alarmed. **"Is my brother here?!"** The woman turned from what she had been doing, her eyes concerned.

**"You were the only one that was spotted in the ocean."** Shera, understanding what that meant, closed her eyes and clenched her hand into a tight fist. The woman stepped towards her, to comfort her, but Shera threw off the blankets and ran out of the room, out of the building before anyone could stop her, her bare feet pounding the dirt.

Shera ran past a few people that were headed into the building, not caring when they yelled. Her eyes scanned the area, and finally landed on a tree hidden mostly behind a building. She darted there and climbed up into the tree faster than anyone could have followed her.

Or so she thought.

As soon as she had settled herself suitably high enough in the tree, crouched leaning against the trunk out of sight of a person glancing over the tree, a man walked directly up to the tree and looked up at her. He didn't look like the rest did, dressing in different clothes, and his hair was completely different. Where the rest of the men wore their hair short, this man had his hair long, but pulled back severely into a tail at the back of his head.

**"You really shouldn't be up yet,"** he told her, not even fazed when she glared at him. **"I understand that you're probably scared, but Rim Elm is the safest place."** Shera huffed a bit and crossed her arms on top of her knees.

**"I just want my brother,"** she mumbled, looking away from him. She couldn't have seen how his eyes widened slightly before a sympathetic look entered them. She did look back at him when he climbed into the tree to sit on a branch within her sight.

**"You've probably already been told this, but-"**

**"I was the only one spotted in the ocean. Yes, I know."** The man chuckled at her interruption. **"I know he isn't here, but that doesn't make me want to be near him any less." **Tetsu looked up at the girl again, an odd look in his eyes. Shera knew that she thought more like an adult than like a child, so she was used to the look.

**"You can run faster than most of the boys in the village. I wonder how you would fare against Ixis? He's the fastest of them all."** Shera snorted at the thought as a man with a cane hobbled over to the tree, a blue-haired boy trailing after him.

**"Tetsu? What are you doing in this tree?"** Shera blinked, looking over the man. He was using a cane, and he looked like he was in pain. He certainly couldn't move very fast, not with how he was moving. He didn't look that much older than her father had, so his leg problem was probably either from an illness or an injury. The man, once he was looking up the tree at the monk, noticed the small child sitting further up it. **"Oh? You're the child that washed up on the beach. I didn't know you were awake yet."** Shera scowled and looked away. The boy with blue hair was staring at her, so she sent a cold glare his way, making him jump and hide behind his father.

**"She nearly ran me over when I went to speak to the Village Elder. Her caretaker was in a fuss, saying that she should still be in bed."** He glanced up at the young girl. **"From what I've seen, though, she's as healthy as can be. I wouldn't be surprised if she's faster than Vahn, either."** The boy peeked from behind his father's good leg as Tetsu spoke, peering up at the girl as she looked at the wall to her left.

**"Then I'd say it's time the Elder named someone to take care of her, other than Katherine. I'd take her in, but I've my hands full with raising Vahn and Nene."** He looked down at the boy holding onto his leg with a fond smile. Shera was watching out of the corner of her eye, and turned her eyes back to the wall as Vahn smiled up at his father, a pang of some emotion in her heart. She hadn't had a relationship like that with her parents. They were always gone, or too busy to pay any attention to her.

**"It may be Juno, then. Poor little Mei is left alone when he's out hunting, after all. I only hope he doesn't get attacked by the Seru."** Tetsu was solemn, which made Shera look down at him. He moved to drop out of the tree, but stopped and looked up at her. **"Well, come on." **Shera set her jaw stubbornly, and hugged her knees, showing that she wasn't inclined at all to climb down. She yelped as a hand gripped the back of her shirt, and she was hauled with Tetsu to the ground.

Shera fumed as she was hauled, still dangling in the air from Tetsu's hand, to the building she had run from, idly kicking her legs in a vain attempt to reach the ground. She glared at anyone and anything that looked at her. The village elder was treated to a particularly chilly glare as she was set on her feet and told to stay put by Tetsu. She didn't doubt that he could catch her easily.

Shera grumbled to herself as she looked out the window, scowling at the sky outside. She was dressed in clean clothes, and was thankful that they had found her a pair of pants to wear instead of shoving her into a skirt. She was told that someone would be coming to pick her up and take her into their home, which just meant she was getting shoved to someone else. Tetsu was set to baby-sitting until they arrived, which she thought would have irritated him. She would have pestered him, but she was still angry with him for dragging her out of the tree.

The door opened, but Shera only moved her eyes to see who it was. Tetsu lifted his head and opened his eyes before smiling at the man.

**"Ah, Juno! Val and I were guessing that you'd be the one to take in Shera. She's a bit of a handful, I'm afraid."** Shera snorted and rested her chin on the windowsill, watching the clouds. She wasn't acting much different from how she had at her old home.

Already, Shera was resigned to the fact that she was never going to see her birth parents again. She just didn't see why people kept trying to change her. She was perfectly fine as she was.

A touch on Shera's arm made her turn her head, and she blinked as she saw a girl her age with bright green hair. She blinked again, staring with curiosity. Neither girl noticed the men exchanging smiles.

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And here is the prologue to my second story. I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew by starting more than one story. This one is already further along than the other, though, at least in terms of chapters. Please enjoy!


	2. Midnight Flames

Welcome to chapter one of Whispers of the Water! Last chapter, we met Shera and Deven, and then followed Shera as she met the residents of Rim Elm. How shall she get used to living in the tiny village, always wary of the Mist? Let's find out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Legaia. I do, however, own Shera and her brother Deven.

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Chapter 1: The Midnight Flames

**"Come on, Ixis! Keep up!"** Shera grinned broadly as she taunted one of her rivals, trotting backwards. It had been several years since she had arrived in Rim Elm, and she had changed drastically. Instead of the sullen and angry child that had scowled at everyone, with Mei and Juno's influence, she had changed into a grinning, almost carefree girl that loved to roughhouse with the boys of the village.

The green-haired boy glared at the only girl Tetsu really taught as Vahn passed him, dashing towards her. The brunette girl laughed and turned on the ball of her foot to race away towards the bluff. Just before she was about to hit it, she jumped and flipped over it, letting her arms drift up. She rolled as she hit the sand like Tetsu had taught her, getting out of the way in time for Vahn to do the same. Tetsu was watching from next to the windmill, making sure that their roughhousing didn't get too rough.

The older students joked that he raised Shera almost as much as Juno did, but they all knew that it was only because he was the only adult that she listened to without question. How he had dragged her from the tree was still in the back of her mind, even though that had happened when she was eight.

Shera blocked a kick that Vahn had sent towards her head, her eyes glinting as she understood the challenge. Sand kicked up as the girl flipped backwards, putting space between her and her challenger. Ixis stumbled down the steps as Shera slid into a fighting stance, steady and ready for Vahn to charge at her. He had fallen into that kind of trap before, and had been sent sprawling as Shera deflected him to one side or the other. He approached carefully, his hands curled loosely.

Shera was actually working off her frustrations, since Vahn was going to be allowed out of Rim Elm to hunt in a day or two, while she had to stay inside the village. The village elder had outright told her that women weren't allowed to hunt, and she had stormed off to sit in the tree she had found her first time outside in Rim Elm. Pretty much everyone in the small village knew that no matter what expression was on her face, if she was headed to the tree, she wanted to be left alone. It was a place where she could see nothing but the ocean and the wall, two things that calmed her somehow.

A yell from near the gate stopped Vahn and Shera's sparring as they looked in the direction. They couldn't see over the bluff, true, but it was still the initial reaction. Vahn noticed that Shera was standing straight, and took advantage of her distraction to knock her feet out from under her. She treated him to her trademarked ice glare, and rolled to her feet as Ixis went to see what was going on at the gate.

**"You go and see Mei yet? I thought she was making armor for you." **Vahn sighed as Shera reminded him of something he had already done.

**"Yes, I did. She was blushing when I walked in, for some odd reason."** Shera grinned widely, making Vahn narrow his eyes at her. **"And you know why, don't you?" **The girl closed her lips before sand could get in her mouth, and blocked another kick from her main rival.

**"That's something you'll have to work out on your own. I'm not giving you any help with it. But yes, I do know why."** One of the hunters charged up to the bluff and called Vahn and Shera. Both stopped what they were doing and exchanged concerned looks. **"You don't suppose something happened to Juno, do you?"** Vahn shrugged, and they charged towards the stairs, heading towards the gate with practiced speed. As she saw the stretcher lying on the ground with a body on it, Shera put on an extra burst of speed, nearly slamming into a couple of people as she slowed to a stop, her eyes focused only on her foster-father's dead body. She didn't even notice Mei, sobbing into Vahn's shoulder.

Shera was sitting in her tree again as Vahn came back from her house, and climbed up like he had occasionally when they were younger. For all of their bitter rivalry, Vahn was Shera's best friend, and knew her moods even when she hid her emotions. She had just seen him exiting hers and Mei's house through the branches, so she knew he was checking up on her.

**"It's getting dark, you know."** Shera didn't even glance at Vahn as he spoke. She knew what he was getting at, after all. The girl sighed and let her right leg hang off the branch, resting her head on the trunk. **"Mei will be worried if you don't get back before night fully falls."** Shera closed her eyes for a moment, before looking at Vahn.

**"Why?"** The blue-haired boy blinked up at her, confused. Seeing he wanted her to elaborate, she continued, looking at the ocean. **"Why do you follow me, even when I yell at you? Why do you **_**care**_**?" **Vahn chuckled, which made Shera look at him. She managed to avoid glaring at him, but she wanted to, if just out of habit.

**"You **_**need**_** a friend. You remember what you did when you first saw me?"** Shera nodded. How could she not? She had glared, and he had hid behind his father. At that time, she had thought that he was a weak little boy that she would be able to shove around, but he had proved her wrong quickly enough. **"You kept pushing people away, even though the only person you were able to tolerate was Mei."** Shera rolled her eyes, and stood, supporting herself by holding onto a branch. She picked her way down the tree, and walked towards the house that held Juno's dead body.

**"Still. I'm not exactly friend material."** Vahn sighed as he also climbed down the tree, heading into his house. He waited until he saw Shera and Mei's door close before walking into where his father was waiting.

Shera woke up to a loud bang, and looked over at Mei. She was still standing by the bed Juno was stretched out on, and didn't seem to notice that anything had changed. The brunette stood, slipping out of bed, and Mei turned to look. The other girl's eyes were worried, but she didn't move from where she was. Shera nodded, understanding what it was Mei wanted her to do, and pulled on her shoes before going out the door. She came back in almost immediately and grabbed a cape from one of the hangers next to the door that she hadn't used since winter.

**"Cold outside,"** she explained to Mei, though she didn't get a smile in response. The brunette slipped back outside, trotting towards the gate, where some of the other villagers. She stopped next to Tetsu, and nodded to him as Vahn arrived and walked up to the Village Elder. Shera glared at the back of the old man's head, her feelings still stinging from the fact that she was supposed to learn how to be a 'proper' woman, and not the fighter she knew she could be.

Vahn and the Elder spoke for a while until someone spoke, sending everyone present into an alert silence. **"Ah, quite impressive. Look how many puny humans survive." **Something just above the height of their heads appeared just in front of the gate. The Elder took a step back so Vahn was ahead of him, much to Shera's disgust, though that faded somewhat as she looked at the figure that had appeared out of the strange object. Tetsu stepped in front of Shera, partially hiding her from whatever it was.

**"Pitiful creatures, you humans. Living in fear of the Mist, you scream at the sight of a Seru's shadow. Pathetic humans!"** The figure drifted up, and Shera noticed absentmindedly that Ixis was starting to back away, sweating in fear. **"In this desolate place, you thought this flimsy wall would protect you from the Mist? Humans! You are but insects! The time has come to abandon your foolish resistance. I am Zeto. I have come to bring the salvation of the Mist to you miserable creatures."**

Tetsu ran forwards, passing Vahn on the right, and jumped into the air, trying to punch Zeto. Some power stopped the monk from touching Zeto, and Shera's teacher was thrown back to land just in front of the Village Elder. Shera started to move as if to lunge as well, out of reaction to what had happened to her teacher, but one of the village women gripped her shoulder, making her think twice.

**"Humans! Now is the time! Accept the Mist!"** Shera snorted softly, sending her iciest glare up at the figure. Her eyes widened, though, as she heard something from beyond the wall. She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating like Tetsu had taught her, and her eyes snapped open again, fear lighting them for the first time in years.

A single blast of bright energy busted through the wall, sending rubble down towards the villagers. Only the closest near the wall had to run to avoid getting crushed, though, and people started to turn and run towards their houses. Shera stared at the visage that materialized out of the dust and darkness, etching it into her mind.

Two eyes like glowing slits, long, white teeth that outlined the top and bottom of a huge mouth, and a huge, shadowy shape that faded into the darkness...The creature that had destroyed the wall would haunt her dreams for months to come, she knew that much just by looking at it.

The Mist entered the village through the breach in the wall, inciting screams of panic and fear from the villagers. More and more ran towards their homes, Ixis included. Creatures that Shera knew must have been the Seru hopped over the now low wall, and darted for the villagers that were frozen by their fear. Tetsu intercepted one that was headed for the village elder, and Vahn moved to rescue a woman that was getting attacked by a Seru, the woman already lying motionless on the ground. Shera noted with an odd calmness that the woman was the one that had been present when she had first woken in Rim Elm. She also noted with the calm that Zeto had commanded the Seru to attack the Genesis Tree.

The Seru chased after one of the elders that had accompanied the village leader, and Shera intercepted it, kicking it in what looked like its beak. She was instantly glad that Mei had made her cape wide so she would be able to move freely. The Seru died quickly enough, like the one Vahn had attacked. Her rival was running towards where the ramp to the Genesis tree was as she retreated to the nearest structure: the building that had been a store before the Mist came. She closed the door behind her, and the people inside looked at her, worried.

Shera stayed with the storekeepers, calming their sons and sharing what she had seen with them. Vahn came in after a while, a worried look on his face. He looked directly at Shera, making sure that she wasn't injured. The boys started to freak out too badly for Shera to keep them calm, so their mother took over, freeing Shera to speak with Vahn.

**"Are you alright? I thought I saw you fighting as I ran to the tree."** Shera gave him a slightly weary, lop-sided smirk. She had gotten a small scratch on her arm, but wasn't paying any attention to it. She noticed that he was standing at an angle to her, with his right arm hidden.

**"I'm fine. What's wrong with your arm?"** The boy blanched, as if he had been trying to hide it from her, and shifted it well out of her range of sight, making her suspicious.

**"Nothing's wrong."** Shera propped her hands on her hips, showing Vahn that she didn't believe him. **"Anyway, I got Mei to my house. Since you weren't on the right side of the village, I figured you'd want to know."** Shera sighed despite herself, glad that he had taken care of the girl she saw as her sister.

**"Thank you for that. But let me see your arm."** Vahn shook his head, heading for the door, still keeping his arm from her view. Shera glared at him, and he paled slightly, worried about whether she was going to get violent to get her way, but the hunter that used to be a storekeeper called her name, and he was able to disappear while she was distracted.

Shera grumbled about it for a while, but she dealt with it anyway, and blinked as Vahn came back after a little while. She walked over to listen to him, noticing some odd red thing on his arm. He didn't seem to hear her when she asked what it was, just telling them to gather near the Genesis Tree, as it was the only real safe spot in the village. Looking out the window, Shera admitted that it was, since the Mist seemed to be keeping away from it, and they all trooped out, joining Tetsu, Val, Nene, and Mei. They made the rounds of the village, the hunters and Tetsu's other students protecting the rest of the villagers as well as they could.

Tetsu and Shera held back the Seru as they walked down the ramp to the Genesis Tree, the rest of the villagers having gone ahead. Shera tripped as she walked backwards, and rolled to her feet in time to avoid getting burned by a fireball. Vahn and Ixis had turned when they heard her yelp, but as she was unharmed, they turned back to the Genesis Tree. Shera heard the term 'Ra-Seru', and wondered what it was while she kicked in the beak of a Seru.

A light from behind her and Tetsu startled Shera, and the Gimards, the Seru, turned to stone before disintegrating into dust, which blew away on the sea-borne breeze. She turned in time to see Vahn fall to the ground at the base of the tree. She looked up at it, her eyes widening, recalling the tree she first remembered. Other villagers expressed some surprise at Vahn's collapse as Shera sat down against the wall, smirking tiredly at Tetsu.

**"You did well, Shera. You should go home and get some rest. I'll make sure Mei gets back alright."** The brunette nodded, and grunted a bit as she stood, staggering off towards her home, which was, fortunately, at the top of the ramp. She noticed that there were some Gobu Gobu starting to poke around the village, and shouted at one, scaring it and its companions off.

The rest of the villagers were coming up and starting to head to their own homes as Shera crouched next to the door of her home, finding the key that she knew Mei would have left there before unlocking the door and stepping in. She poked at the fire a bit to increase the heat of the room before taking off her cape and boots, and crawled into bed before Mei even came back, falling asleep quickly.

The next morning, Shera got out of the house before Mei woke up, and went down to the shore while it was still fully dark. She sat on the bottom step of the stairs, staring out towards the ocean.

**"I didn't think you'd get up so early after last night."** Shera turned her head as she heard Tetsu's voice, but didn't look back and up at him. She heard him walk down the steps and sit down next to her, also looking at the ocean.

**"I can't help but feel that Juno's death was only a bad omen,"** she whispered, **"And I don't think that the fall of the Wall is going to be the last of it."** Tetsu looked at her, a bit surprised at her words, but chuckled a bit.

**"It's almost a pity you were born a girl. Were you a boy, you would have fit in just fine at the Biron Monastery."** Shera smirked wryly, snorting.

**"I could barely deal with your rules. What makes you think I'd be able to deal with people more strict than you?"** Tetsu laughed outright at this, making Shera actually look at him. He calmed down soon enough, but still had a small smile on his face.

**"True."** His head tilted up a bit, looking at the stars as they started to fade. Shera heard distantly as people started to move, preparing Juno and the other two fallen villagers for the funeral that would start as soon as the sun started to rise over the horizon. **"I never laughed so much before leaving the monastery. And after you came, I laughed even more. When I started teaching here in Rim Elm, I never thought that my best student would be a young girl."** Shera didn't look at him.

**"Vahn's your best student,"** she protested, watching the waves repeating their pattern.

In... out.

In... out.

In... out.

Her breathing started to follow the pattern exactly, calming the emotions that she could feel bubbling up from her chest. It wouldn't become her to start crying. Crying showed weakness.

**"No, Shera. Vahn **_**was**_** my best student. What you did last night proved that. While Vahn ultimately saved the village, it was not only his strength. The Ra-Seru aided him greatly. If not for it, we might not have survived the night."** Shera remained silent, still waiting for him to tell her why he considered her his best student. **"You were able to keep your head when that man, Zeto, arrived and taunted us. Even I lost my cool at that."** Shera smirked slightly at that reminder, and couldn't keep a chuckle from appearing.

**"You protected an elder. Vahn went and took on the Seru that had already killed Katherine. Vahn has a good heart, but his duty to his elders sometimes goes forgotten. You stayed with the shopkeepers and their sons the entire time, even though you could have gone home and hid with Mei. Also..."** Shera saw Tetsu turn to look at her out of the corner of her eye. **"Vahn told me that when he went to speak with the shopkeepers, you kept bothering him, trying to see what was on his arm. He told me you thought he was injured."** Shera shrugged her shoulders, taking a deep breath as the first rays of light peeked over the horizon.

**"Following Biron's path is not limited to one gender, though only one is traditionally allowed in the monastery. Fighting is included in the path, yes, but so is love."** Shera sent Tetsu an odd look, and he smiled at her. **"Love doesn't have to be romantic. It can be like your feelings for Mei: a chaste love from one family member to another. Or it can be one person simply caring for another." **

He poked at her arm, and she flinched. She had gotten a deep scratch early on in the night that she had thought was shallower, and Mei had bandaged it up while Shera slept. She still couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed it. **"Vahn took you stating that you were uninjured as you not wanting to be bothered about it. He said the same to you, but you kept pestering him about it."** People started to come down the steps to the beach, and Shera stood, trotting up the steps to sit on the fence, where she would be out of the way. She didn't acknowledge Mei when the girl greeted her, her eyes watching the waves without really seeing them.

Vahn had glanced at Shera as he walked down to where the funeral was to be held, noticing that she had a slightly bloodstained bandage on her left arm. The Ra-Seru on his arm glowed a bit, and he looked down at it, a slight frown forming on his face. He walked the rest of the way down to the beach, standing with his father and sister. The shopkeeper and one of her sons stayed on top of the bluff near Shera, who didn't move throughout the funeral, even when the water was blocked by Juno's coffin.

Mei looked at Shera with a bit of worry as she saw how calm her foster sister was, until one of the elders told her she had been speaking to Tetsu. It wasn't the first time Tetsu had told her something that she had thought deeply on, so Mei was sure that that was what had happened. The green-haired girl went into the house, locking it from the inside, but making sure that there was a spare key left outside where Shera could find it. The rest of the village got back into their routine, except for Vahn, who looked like he was getting ready for something.

Shera didn't notice, but every time he looked like he was going to walk over to Shera and talk to her, something happened. The Ra-Seru spoke, one of the elders asked for him to run an errand for her, or Ixis started up a conversation with him. By the time he got free of them all, she had disappeared somewhere.

Shera, meanwhile, had gotten up and decided that since Juno wasn't around anymore, the task of fixing the roof now fell to her, and had gone in search of someone to teach her how. She figured Mei was finishing up the armor for Vahn, and she remembered how she had acted when Shera had bothered her before.

Vahn sighed as he finally finished packing what he thought he needed for his journey, and said goodbye to his sister and his father before walking out the door. Even though it was his own village, Rim Elm seemed foreign now. Or maybe it was simply he was looking at it in a different perspective. The wall was in ruins, and the Genesis tree that he had known for his whole life had changed into a huge, vibrant plant. He couldn't even see Mei and Shera's house anymore; the branches blocked his view.

With another small sigh, he headed for the gap in the rubble that was now the gate. Just before he was about to leave, he heard Mei call his name, and stopped. The young woman trotted up to him, holding up her skirts with one hand. She panted slightly as he turned to look at her. Once she caught her breath, she held out the bundle of clothing that she had been carrying in one hand.

**"You may not be going on a hunt, Vahn, but please, still use this. I worked so hard on it."** Vahn smiled a bit at her, and accepted the shirt and armor that Mei had made for him. **"Please be careful." **Vahn nodded to her, and looked behind her.

**"Where's Shera? I was going to talk to her before she left, but I couldn't find her."** Mei tilted her head to the side, her eyes wide slightly.

**"She's patching the roof right now. I'll tell her you said goodbye."** Vahn nodded to Mei, and put the armor into his pack. **"I'm no good at goodbyes, so I'll leave before you. Stay safe."** Mei started to back away, tears building up in her eyes. Vahn watched for a moment as she walked back to her house before turning and walking out of the village. He could see more than one figure on the top of the house, so he knew that Shera would be busy for a while, learning how to do all the duties that Juno would have done.

The brunette teenager sighed as she climbed down the rickety ladder that had been set against the side of the house close to the end of the day, wiping sweat from her face. Mei opened the door to smile at her, offering her a ladleful of water. The working woman drained it thankfully, and wiped her mouth before her forehead.

**"Well, the roof won't leak for a while. I'm not sure just how long it'll last, since I'm not nearly as handy at it as Juno was."** Mei nodded, her eyes slightly sad. Shera sighed a bit, rubbing her hand through her hair to unstick it. **"...Sorry. I just keep bringing him up."** Mei looked down as well.

**"It's alright. Here, I got a bath ready for you. I've been getting dinner ready, too."** Shera smiled at her foster sister and walked into the house. As Mei cooked, Shera washed, the tub sitting behind the privacy screen. She scrubbed her hair before loosely braiding it, trusting the water to keep it from unraveling.

As Shera dried herself off and got dressed, she chatted a bit with Mei, finding out who she had talked to and what had happened while she had been working hard. She scowled as she heard that Vahn had left, but Mei had already moved on to a different subject, so she didn't address it then.

As they sat down to eat the stew Mei had worked on while Shera was working on the roof, Mei brought up Vahn's departure. **"He's so brave,"** Mei gushed as Shera scraped her spoon along the bottom of the wooden bowl. The brunette licked her spoon clean subtly before standing and washing her things off. **"He set out all by himself. The hunters said that they saw him at Hunter's Spring just before they left."** Shera's movements stopped, and Mei knew that she wasn't very pleased. **"Shera?"**

The brunette hastily dried her things and set them down to the side before striding to where she kept her things. As Mei watched, she took out a bag, and shoved some clean clothes into it, leaving the armor that Mei had made for her even though she wouldn't be allowed out of Rim Elm to hunt out. The clean bowl and spoon were put gently into the bag as well, and Shera searched for a moment, finding a box of flint and tinder that she had hidden long before Juno had died. That was put into a pouch that was attached to one of Juno's old belts, and Shera slung that over her hips before pulling the armor over her head. She turned as she heard Mei moving finally, and her eyes focused on the pendant that her foster sister was holding out to her.

**"I know I can't stop you from anything you want to do, but please, take this. It was my mother's. It's my good luck charm."** Shera looked her sister in the eyes, and gently pushed Mei's pendant back to her.

**"I can't, Mei. I don't-I can't. It's yours."** Mei took both of Shera's hands, and placed the pendant in them, closing her callused hands around it.

**"I want you to have it. You need the luck, if you're to catch up to Vahn. The men of the village can take over the chores Juno left behind, and with the Genesis Tree having bloomed, the only thing we have to worry about are the slimes and Gobu Gobus."** Shera closed her eyes for a moment, silently conceding defeat. When she opened her eyes, Mei was crying. Shera pulled on the pendant, and wiped a tear from her sister's cheek.

**"Don't cry. I'll be alright. And I'll keep an eye on Vahn for you, too."** Mei hugged Shera tearfully, and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping her tears away. **"He may be annoying to me, but I know he means a lot to you. I'll keep him safe, and make sure he gets back to you." **Mei nodded, smiling through her tears.

**"You'd better get going, if you want to catch up to him."** Shera nodded, and picked up the bag. She walked to the door, and paused, looking at her cape. She grabbed it and put it on before walking out the door, looking over her shoulder at Mei once before closing the door.

Tetsu was sitting on the fence near the Genesis Tree outside of Mei and Shera's house, and turned his head as he heard the door close. He saw Shera, and swung his legs over to walk towards her. The girl scowled slightly as she saw him, and he smiled a bit.

**"I'm not about to stop you, so quit scowling. I had a feeling that as soon as you found out, you would be leaving. Here."** He tossed a packet of healing herbs to her, and she looked at him oddly. **"I never really taught you about how to travel. Memorize how these leaves look as you travel. You'll find they grow almost everywhere. They're used for treating wounds and such."** Shera smiled at him, and put the packet into her bag.

The male shopkeeper found her next, almost level with the Cave of Memories. He handed her a card and a sheathed knife. **"Tetsu told me he thought you'd go after Vahn. Here. It's a gift from me and my wife, for staying with us last night." **Shera smiled a bit, and accepted both items, looking curiously at the card. **"It's a point card. A talisman of the god of prosperity and protection. Whatever you buy from any shop, it will charge the card, depending on how expensive it is. When you choose to, you can release the charge on an opponent as damage."** Shera looked at him, and shook her head, putting the card away in her belt pouch.

**"I don't deserve the things I've been getting. Mei's good luck charm, Tetsu's approval, and this charm..."** The shopkeeper grinned at her.

**"You do. The Elder doesn't realize it, but everyone thinks that he made a bad decision, forbidding you from hunting."** Shera shook her head slightly, and waved goodbye, walking through the gap in the ruined wall, heading off at a trot into the night. **"Goodbye, Shera. Stay safe."**

A low glow in the distance told Shera where Vahn had set up camp for the night. She had just come out of Hunter's Spring, where she had met a merchant that had spoken to Vahn. He seemed surprised that she was following him, and had made an assumption that she soon set to rights. She had an addition to her pack now: a wooden cup. She had used it at the blessed fountain, and felt invigorated. She knew it wouldn't last all that long, though.

The brunette sighed slightly, and headed across the plains to the dying campfire. It took her hours to get there, but when she did, her suspicions were confirmed. Vahn had fallen asleep by his fire, and a pair of Gobu Gobus were trying to sneak his pack from under his head. Shera took out her knife and threw it into the forehead of one of them, scaring the other off. Vahn woke with a start as the dead creature fell on top of him, and Shera stormed closer as the young man slid out from under the weight. Shera was right next to him by the time he noticed her, and she had to duck a couple of punches before she flipped him onto his back.

**"Idiot. Do you not recognize when someone's helping you?" **The blue-haired boy stopped as he recognized Shera's voice. He stared as she picked up the stick that he had been prodding the fire with earlier and poked it into as full a life as possible.

**"Shera?! Wh-I thought-"** Shera plopped down on the opposite side of the fire with a slight grunt, putting down her back.

**"Thought what? That I don't know enough that you need someone to watch your back, even with that thing on your arm?" **Vahn flinched a bit, and sat back down. He noticed the knife in the creature's head, and yanked it out, looking it over. **"That's mine, by the way." **Vahn glanced up at her, and then at the red object that had merged with his arm. He frowned, but wiped the knife off and tossed it to Shera's right, where it buried itself in the dirt.

**"Does the Elder know you left?"** Shera looked Vahn in the eye, smirking slightly. He blinked, and shook his head, smiling a bit sheepishly. **"Right. The question I should ask is: Does Tetsu know?" **Shera chuckled, and pulled something out of her pack.

**"He was waiting for me to come out of the house. This was his gift."** Vahn lifted an eyebrow as he saw the carefully packaged herbs. **"The knife was a thank-you for staying with the shopkeepers while the Mist was in the village."** Vahn smirked slightly, and Shera took up her knife, putting it behind her somewhere. He blinked as he noticed that Shera wasn't wearing her hair loose like he remembered seeing it earlier in the day. It was held back away from her face, and there was something around her neck.

**"What's that?"** Vahn gestured to the object, and Shera picked it up to look at it. She smiled slightly, her eyes soft. He knew instantly that it was from Mei, simply because of that look. She was the only person that could make Shera have that look on her face.

**"It's Mei's good luck charm. She made me take it."** Vahn's eyebrows went up in surprise. Mei cherished that charm. He'd heard that it was from her mother, about the only thing that was left behind. Shera lifted her head to grin at her blue-haired rival, a slightly taunting light in her eyes. **"Said I'd need the luck to catch up to you. But I managed it with time to spare."** She yawned, and leaned backwards. **"I'm tired. Been working on the roof almost all day."** Vahn sighed, and steeled himself for staying awake while she slept. He had understood the hint, and he'd had some sleep. Shera hadn't.

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Heh, um...I forgot I had Tetsu give such a long speech. ^_^; If Shera starts to seem like a Mary-Sue, please tell my why you feel that way, and I will do my best to steer her away from that. However, if what makes her feel like a Mary-Sue has plot reasons, I probably will not address it.

A reveiw or three would be nice! (I'm not gonna beg for them, though.)


	3. Travel Montage

Welcome to Chapter two of Whispers of the Water!

Last chapter, Shera, Vahn, and Tetsu helped to protect Rim Elm from the Mist, and then sent those that had fallen, two of whom had taken care of Shera in the past, off to the Valley of Noaru, the land of the dead. Shera, when she found out that Vahn had left on his own, chased after him to make sure he came back safely to Mei, and found him about to lose his belongings to a pair of Gobu Gobus. (I don't know anyone who has played the game who doesn't find them annoying.) How will Vahn deal with this new addition to his travels? Read on to find out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Legaia. I do own Shera.

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Chapter 2: Travel Montage

Shera grumbled slightly as she woke up to the sun's light hitting her face. She heard a fire crackling, and sat up, yawning. Vahn looked at her from across the campfire, smirking slightly at her sleepy face. He was cooking some of his supplies, and spooned a bit from his pot into his own wooden bowl.

**"Morning. Want some food?"** Shera's stomach grumbled, and he laughed as she dug out her bowl and spoon. His laughter faded slightly as he saw the designs that had been whittled into the sides of the bowl. She blinked up at him as she helped herself to the rest of the food, and looked at the bowl. **"You still use it?"** Shera smirked slightly, looking down at it. She didn't respond, digging into the food that Vahn had made.

As they ate in slightly uncomfortable silence, the two of them looked around. Shera's eyes were focused on the mountains, something she had only seen when climbing to the top of the wall. Vahn's were on the fire, watching it spark and flare. Shera finished her bowl and washed it in the nearby river, running her fingers over the stylized wave design on the edges. She smiled slightly as she remembered when she had gotten the bowl.

It had been about a year since Shera had arrived. The entire village had been preparing gifts to celebrate. Shera hadn't yet started to come out of her shell, still sitting up in her tree behind Vahn's house, watching the sea as if waiting for her brother to float up. Vahn had gotten the idea from that for a bowl of her own, and had carefully whittled the designs after his father had helped him to shape it. She had opened a little bit to him after receiving his gift, occasionally talking to him without scowling, and even dropped out of her tree to talk to him.

Once Shera came back to the present and returned to where she had left Vahn, she found that her rival had started to put away his things, putting out the fire by kicking dirt over it. He smiled at Shera, and got only the faintest hint of one in return. As she turned to tend to her own things, he sighed silently, looking down at the Ra-Seru on his arm. He went to the river to wash his things, and to speak to the Ra-Seru without creeping out Shera.

The girl watched him mutter and wash his things, and shook her head at him. She never did understand his gestures, but this one was a new one. She'd always seen him suck up to the elders, but he wasn't that bad when there wasn't an adult around.

Vahn put away his dishes, and the two of them set off, Shera having packed her cape into her bag. Vahn was able to see that her knife was put in the back of the belt she was wearing. He tilted his head to the side, looking at her belt, and got an odd from Shera for it. He looked away, feeling his face heat up slightly. Shera snorted, and he realized that she must have noticed his blush.

**"Yes, Vahn, this is Juno's old belt."** The blue-haired boy jumped slightly, and turned to look at her, his eyes wide. She wasn't looking at him, instead looking over the plains at the stone building that was starting to materialize through the morning mist. She frowned suddenly, looking around. **"That's odd...It's too late in the day for this to be from the morning..."** They both came to the same conclusion, Vahn looking to his new arm-guard for confirmation as Shera glanced to the sky.

**"It's the Mist,"** they said at the same time, their voices serious. A smirk twitched Vahn's lips, though Shera didn't show much of a difference, looking around warily. She had a hand at her back, fingering her dagger. Finally, she took it off her belt, sheath and all, and handed it to Vahn. He looked at her oddly, and she smirked at him, the normal wry twist to her mouth that Vahn was familiar with.

**"You can use it better than I can. Besides, I prefer to use my hands and feet to fight anyway."** Vahn took the knife and put it on his belt, and yelped slightly as he got whapped over the head. **"And why aren't you wearing your armor?"** He turned to look at her, and she looked at him with a straight face. Before he could open his mouth to ask why she was doing this, she walked ahead, saying, **"I promised Mei I would take care of you. I intend to keep that promise." **He frowned a bit, and put on his armor quickly before trotting to catch up to her.

**"By mothering me?"** Shera looked over her shoulder at him, her face still serious. He was glaring at her slightly, but it didn't faze her. His glares weren't the icy kind, and he had never gotten terribly angry before.

**"If that's what it takes, yes."** Vahn's glare snapped it slightly at Shera, but she still wasn't fazed. **"You had Nene to remind you so much once she got old enough, and Val before that." **She pointed a finger at his face, and he focused on the tip as they walked. **"You need someone to watch your back, anyhow. I can take care of myself."** Vahn frowned, and both turned as they heard wing beats.

A big bug flapped towards them through the Mist, and Shera dropped into a fighting stance, her hands loose. Vahn unsheathed the knife, holding it awkwardly in one hand. Shera dodged an attack from the bug, and kicked high, trying to hit it. It flew upwards to avoid her foot, but flew directly into the path of the knife. It fell to the ground with a screech that made Shera shudder slightly. Vahn smirked and pulled the knife out of it, and wiped the blade on the grass.

**"What's wrong? Don't like bugs?"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at him, and stretched her arms, popping her shoulders audibly.

**"I shuddered because it screeched. I wasn't expecting it to."** Vahn smirked, and sheathed the knife. Shera looked at him, and chuckled slightly. **"By the way...You don't know how to fight with knives unless you're throwing them, do you?"** Vahn shook his head. Shera sighed a bit, nodding her head. **"Thought so. I don't either."** Vahn laughed aloud, and Shera couldn't help but smile softly. Vahn had an infectious laugh.

They entered the forecourt of the castle, and Shera looked around, frowning slightly. Vahn stayed where he was as the girl trotted up a set of steps to open an unlocked chest. She looked at the slip of paper, and tucked it into her pouch. He moved to join her as she almost fell down the steps.

**"Is it just me, or does this castle seem...eerie?"** Shera looked at Vahn seriously, and smirked. The boy frowned at her, and she nodded to the central entrance to the castle.

**"It might just be that this stone is really cold. I can feel it from here, and I know it isn't the Mist."** Vahn looked warily at the castle, but looked at his Ra-Seru as it glowed. Shera tilted her head to the side, but accepted it as something that she would have to deal with as long as she was traveling with him. The blue-haired boy sighed, and hefted his pack on his shoulder, heading towards the entrance. Shera blinked, her eyebrows rising slightly. Vahn noticed, and smiled a bit.

**"There's a Genesis Tree beyond this castle. Meta wants us to wake it up."** Shera dropped an eyebrow, but left the other one up.

**"Who's Meta?"** Vahn lifted the arm with the Ra-Seru on it, and Shera rolled her eyes a bit. She didn't say anything, and neither did Vahn, but the Ra-Seru glowed again. Shera simply walked ahead into the castle, her eyes flicking back and forth. **"Uh, Shera? Meta's warning me that there might be Seru here."** The brunette turned to look back at him.

**"I can handle Seru, thank you very much."** Something floated up behind her, and before Vahn could warn her, she turned, her torso dropping to let her kick up and across the creature's face. She turned to look at it as it got up off the ground, swishing its sword and lifting its shield to face her. Vahn drew the knife and ran to catch up to Shera as she sidestepped an attack before bringing her left fist around to punch the ghostly creature in the helmet. Vahn got in a single slice before the ghost faded away. He sheathed the dagger, and turned to look at her, an odd look in his eyes.

**"How did you...?"** Shera smirked a little. She tapped a finger against the side of her head, like Vahn had seen Tetsu do before.

**"I sensed it. It's how I can keep out of the way of Seru, too."** Shock passed over her face for a moment, and she grabbed Vahn's arm and pulled him to the side in time to keep him from getting sliced by a skeleton. **"Ghosts and Skeletons. Definitely an abandoned castle."** Vahn kicked up at the skeleton's skull, knocking it around so its head was upside down. It staggered backwards, and Vahn looked at Shera.

**"Thanks."** Shera shrugged her shoulders as the skeleton righted its head. She slid into a fighting stance as Vahn turned to look at the skeleton, and the thing's teeth chattered as it charged at the blue-haired boy. He took a page out of Shera's book, and deflected the thing's energy to the side. Shera looked thoughtful, and she ducked a blow from the skeleton, backing up a few steps.

**"Any idea how we're gonna kill something that's already dead?"** Vahn shook his head. Shera dropped and spun with one foot out, knocking the feet out from under it. It fell in a clatter, and Vahn backed up a bit. Meta glowed, and he glanced down at it.

**"Meta's got an idea. Back up."** Shera did what she was told, eyeing the object as Vahn stood, his eyes focused on it. She jumped back even more as a Gimard appeared and slammed into the skeleton, burning it into a little pile of ashes before disappearing. She stared at Vahn, who wasn't looking at all startled.

_**"What was that?!"**_ Vahn hid a grin at Shera, whose voice had gone up an octave in her shock. Her eyes were almost bugging out at him as he simply lifted his right arm.

**"Meta did all the work, really."** Shera closed her eyes and sighed for a moment before shaking her head and trotting up one of the steps, pausing for a moment to look at the huge portrait that was centered between the two staircases. She trotted the rest of the way up as Meta cajoled Vahn into following her. She walked out of one of the doors as Vahn reached the top of the steps. She lifted her hand with a slight smirk, showing him a key that she had found.

Vahn sighed a bit and let Shera unlock the big door that was in the middle of the balcony. They shoved open the doors, and Shera looked up the huge, dark staircase, her eyes unreadable. Vahn walked ahead of her up the stairs, pausing for a moment until he heard her feet on the stone steps as well. It took a while, but they finally reached the top, and Shera looked around, a wary look on her face. Vahn looked down at Meta, frowning, and walked to a door. He opened it, and took a step back with a yelp. Shera stepped up to see what had startled Vahn, and her eyebrows went up.

**"Well, that explains the odd feeling I had. They're being controlled by the Seru."** Vahn looked at Shera as she stiffened, and jumped out of the way as she darted towards him. He saw why as soon as he turned. She had just evaded a Gimard that had been sneaking up on her. Vahn stepped in front of her as a skeleton clattered up to them. **"And at least those people can't get out of that enclave. Whoever built that knew what they were doing." **She gently shoved Vahn out of the way, sending a slightly irritated glance his way for the protective gesture.

The creatures managed to land several blows, but Shera and Vahn backed each other up until both creatures fell into dust. The brunette knelt for a moment, catching her breath with her eyes closed as Vahn looked around in case more foes appeared.

**"Are you alright?"** The girl looked up at him and stood, brushing her knees off. They were wearing much the same clothing, though Shera's armor was modified to protect her as a female.

**"A bit out of breath. Carrying a bit more than I'm used to fighting with."** Vahn frowned a little as Shera moved to the huge, dark stairway. He wasn't even winded. Did Meta really increase his strength and endurance that much?

**"Do you need a break?"** Shera, already several steps up, stopped and looked back at Vahn. She had that slight smirk on her face that was the only thing that told Vahn she was in high spirits. Recognizing it for what it was, he grinned. **"Hey, if you're watching my back, I gotta watch yours. It'd be no use if you were taken from behind by a Seru because of exhaustion."** Shera rolled her eyes and continued up the stairs.

The next floor wasn't too different from the last one, though Vahn noticed that Shera poked about more than he had seen her do on the last floor. He was sure he saw her pull a book off of a shelf and flip through it, though he was on the other side of the room and saw her actions from the corner of his eye. Eventually, they found a key to the next door, and climbed the steps to the next floor.

Shera looked around, a rather confused look on her face, and led Vahn to one of the doors. She immediately ducked as another ghost tried to chop off her head, and backed up, a sour look on her face. As the ghost floated towards her to try to attack again, she spun, kicking high and knocking the helmet off. Both the helmet and the ghost faded, and Shera huffed, walking into the room.

Vahn was about to follow her when the ghost reappeared, helmet back on its head. It lifted his sword to slice at Shera's back. The blue-haired boy quickly pulled out the knife Shera had forced into his hands, and thrust it through a small gap in the ghost's armor, the metal making a slight screeching sound as it scraped against the metal armor the ghost inhabited. Shera turned as the ghost faded again, her eyes wide. Vahn blinked a couple of times, and then looked at the knife in his hand.

They were much more wary as they walked into the long room. Shera immediately noticed a key case next to the door, and opened it as Vahn walked towards the wooden barrier that kept the Seru-possessed people from attacking them. Shera followed after tucking the key into her pouch. She stopped a decent distance from the barrier, and propped her hands on her hips, looking at the creatures with level eyes.

**"Kinda sad, really..."** Vahn looked at her, a little startled. **"They all had lives before the Mist came. Who knows what they put on hold..."** Vahn looked back at the people within the wooden barrier, understanding what she said now.

**"A lot of people died, even in Rim Elm. It took a few years before the Wall was built. I think they had just finished it when you washed up."** Shera looked up at the top of the logs.

**"A few years, and it only took seconds for it to come crashing down..."** She shook her head, sighing and brushing her bangs out of her eyes. **"We should get going. The Genesis Tree still needs to be awakened, right? Then we have to get out of this creepy place and get to where it is."** Vahn had to trot to catch up with Shera as she left the room. The ghost appeared again, only to be kicked, again, by Shera. **"Stupid thing doesn't know when to leave us alone,"** she grumbled. Vahn just chuckled as she dug the key out of her pouch and unlocked the next gate. They trotted up the stairs, and paused at the top. Shera had to actually sit and catch her breath, leaning against the doorway.

**"Need a break? **Shera was quiet for a little while, and then nodded. Vahn helped her up, and then glanced out one of the high windows. **"Almost nightfall. We should find a place to stay for the night."** Shera also looked through the window, and blinked. That was in the direction of the gate, so maybe...the Genesis Tree was there? She didn't say anything, just following Vahn into the next part of the castle. Hopefully, there would be a place where they could stop and rest for the night.

Both Shera and Vahn blinked as they entered a hallway, and exchanged glances. Shera took the lead now, padding quietly down to the first door they encountered, and stepped through it.

**"What kind of room is this,"** Vahn muttered under his breath. Shera just shook her head, and stepped forwards, looking around carefully. There seemed to be no monsters in the huge room, though it was big enough that the Mist was visible, whereas it wasn't entirely in a normal-sized room. She reached the middle of the room, and pointed towards a shape on a raised area in front of her, turning to look at her companion with a smirk.

**"Well, there's your answer. It's a throne room."** Vahn walked forwards as well, lifting an eyebrow at the over-sized chair. He turned his head and saw that there were two doors, one to each side of the dais. **"Which door?"** Vahn looked at the two doors, and, on a whim, pointed to the one to the right. Shera nodded and started towards it, waiting until Vahn was close by before opening it.

The room was small, but there were two beds, a table, and a bookshelf full of books. It took Shera a decent amount of strength just to push open the door, but there was nothing that had been stopping it on the other side. She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, and turned her head to look at Vahn as his Ra-Seru glowed.

**"Yeah, I guess..."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at him for the muttered words as he closed the door, leaning most of his weight on it to get it to close completely. He noticed the odd look she was giving him, and gestured to Meta. **"He said that we'd be able to rest in here without being in danger from the Seru and skeletons, at least."** Shera rolled her eyes and picked a bed, flopping down on it with a sigh. Vahn blinked as he noticed she hadn't moved after that, once he had pulled off his armor. He leaned over to look at her face, and found that she was asleep. **"Faster than I thought she'd fall asleep,"** he murmured, a smirk on his face. He laid down on the other bed and quickly followed Shera into sleep.

* * *

Shera walked. She wasn't sure where she was, as she couldn't see anything but herself. She couldn't even see the ground...if there was ground. It was as smooth as concrete underfoot. There weren't any lumps of grass...or rocks...or even sand or dirt. She was just...walking. If she tried to concentrate on what was around her...she couldn't feel anything. It was like...she was alone in this place; there was nothing here but her. No wind, no water...nothing.

**"Hello...?"** Shera's voice echoed back to her, and she shivered. It was...cold? But there was no wind...There was nothing to make her cold. **"Vahn? Anyone? ...Deven...?"** Shera was starting to feel afraid, and hugged herself, looking around again. She had stopped walking, and was now simply standing there.

A sound drifted past her ears, and she turned and looked around, wondering if her mind were playing tricks on her now. The sound came again, and she tried to figure out where it was coming from. She took a couple of steps forwards in the direction she was facing, and the sound came again.

**"Shera..."** Shera started to run forwards now, sure that the sound was coming from this direction. Was that...It couldn't be...

**"Deven?!"** She was running full tilt now, and she was starting to be able to sense at least something. She was heading north. She couldn't tell how she knew, but she knew.

**"Shera..." **

**"Shera! Wake up!"** The brunette sat up with a start, her head almost hitting Vahn's. He had to jerk his head back to avoid getting hit. **"You alright? It looked like you were having a bad dream."** The brunette rubbed a bit at her face, and looked at the window. It was still dark.

**"Y-yeah..."** Vahn sighed slightly and smiled a bit at her. She wasn't lying, really. Most of her dreams were rather pleasant these days; dealing with life around Rim Elm. She...actually couldn't remember what life was like before she arrived in the small village anymore. **"Sorry if I woke you up."** Vahn, having already moved to his own bed, looked at her and lifted an eyebrow with a smile.

**"Don't worry about it. I was starting to wake up, anyway. Meta decided to intrude on mine."** Shera smiled lopsidedly, and blinked down at herself, suddenly realizing she had fallen asleep in her armor.

**"Well no wonder my shoulders are sore. ....More than normal, at least."** Vahn laughed and stretched his arms out, letting a shoulder pop. Shera pulled off her armor and stretched as well. **"And I doubt I'm going to be able to get back to sleep..."** Vahn lifted an eyebrow at her as she walked over to the bookshelf and pulled a book off, opening it to the title page. **"Book of Fire...? Volume one. Hunh. Vahn, you're a pyro. Here."** She closed the book and tossed it to the now-glaring boy.

Ignoring the glare she was being pinned with, Shera pulled another book from the bookshelf and leafed through the first bit before really starting to read. Vahn, whom had started to read the book Shera had tossed him, glanced up and saw that the book was on the history of the Drake Kingdom. She was a fast reader, though, as she was already most of the way through the book. Vahn wasn't as quick, needing to stop and think about some of the information in the book he was reading. The next time he looked up, Shera had a different book in her hands, and looked much more thoughtful.

**"What's that one?"** Shera blinked, looking up from the book, and glanced back down at the book for a moment, putting a finger in a spot on one of the pages. **"Something you're interested in, I can tell."** Shera grinned a bit sheepishly, an odd expression coming from her.

**"I think some Biron monk left it here. It describes some fighting techniques." **This piqued Vahn's attention, and he put his book down to try to peer over the top of the book. Shera tilted it so he couldn't read it, though. **"You can read it after I'm done."** She looked out the window and blinked. **"It's morning, though. We should get going." **Her stomachgrowled, though, and she sighed. **"And find something to eat. "** Vahn nodded, putting the book in his pack and pulling his armor on. Shera did the same, though she also put her cape on her shoulders and knelt in front of the small statue of the god Rem that was sitting in the corner. Vahn glanced over at her for a moment, and blinked. He hadn't noticed the statue was there.

**"I thought you didn't..."** Shera stood and looked at him, walking over to sit on the table for a moment or two.

**"There's a saying where I came from. 'Cover your bases'. It means to make sure that no matter what happens, something favorable will happen to you." **Vahn blinked at this, and tilted his head to the side. Shera pushed off the table and walked over to the door, yanking hard on it to get it to open enough for them to slip out. Vahn paused a bit to pull the door closed again, which made Shera stop and look back at him with a slightly confused look on her face.

**"We may have to stop here again sometime. That was the safest room in the castle."** Shera rolled her eyes, and led the way past the dais to the door on the other side of it. It opened much easier than the other one had, and Shera walked in first, Vahn close behind. **"What on...?"** Shera blinked as well at the lone Seru-possessed person in the enclosure.

**"Some member of the royal family, maybe? His clothes look like they were made better than most of the others'. Still threadbare, though I guess that's to be expected..."** Vahn looked from Meta to her and back, an odd look on his face. Shera didn't miss it. **"What?"**

**"I just can't get over the fact that you and Meta notice the same things so often."** Shera lifted an eyebrow, silently asking him to elaborate. **"When you noticed the Mist was when Meta did, and he just figured out the same thing about him just as you were talking."** Shera rolled her eyes and knelt next to a box that she had noticed, and opened it. **"H-hey..."** The brunette plucked out a piece of paper from the box and started to scan over what it said, ignoring Vahn.

**"King Drake III. That sound like enough royalty for you?"** Vahn blinked at Shera as she handed him the letter. **"Looks like he knew someone would eventually be able to come here. It's asking us to revive the Genesis Tree on Mt. Rikuroa. Wouldn't be surprised if he penned it himself,"** she trailed off, looking at the man beyond the wooden bars thoughtfully. She turned suddenly, and punched a ghost that had just appeared behind her, scowling. **"I swear, these things are only going after me."** Vahn scanned over the letter as well, chuckling slightly at his companion.

**"It certainly seems so. Anyway, we can't cross the river cause the water gate is up..."** Shera looked at him oddly. **"The Elder told me to head to Biron Monastery to do something."** Shera crossed her arms, the now-gone ghost out of her mind. Vahn recognized the pose as her waiting for him to tell her the whole truth. He shook his head, smiling a bit. **"I'll tell you once we're out of this castle."**

Shera rolled her eyes at the blunette, and walked over to what seemed to be another key case on the wall. She opened it, and pulled out a key, tossing it to Vahn before opening another one. She frowned and checked the front of the small door as she was closing it.

**"That's the only key. The other case says 'water gate' on the front, but there's nothing in it. Probably on the king."** Shera gestured to the door, and Vahn led the way out, putting the key into a pouch on his belt. As he opened the door, he pulled out the knife and threw it, and Shera heard a Seru screech. She peered out of the room as Vahn made quick work of the Gimard, and then picked up his knife. She strolled out, a smirk on her face. **"You're definitely getting stronger and stronger. That took less time than yesterday."** The boy rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. His stomach growled, then, and Shera laughed, starting for the far end of the throne room.

They retraced their steps to the mountain gate, and then had to search to find where the key was supposed to go for a little bit, but then they were able to climb up the steps to a short tunnel that led out to the plains. Shera pulled out some travel rations that she had forgotten the shopkeeper at Hunter's Spring had pressed on her, and shared with Vahn, grimacing slightly at the first bite, but not commenting on the lack of taste.

After a bit of conferring with Meta, Vahn pointed out a mountain, which Shera was sure was the one she had seen from the window of the castle. They stopped partway through the day after Vahn had killed a large bird that had attacked them, and Shera started cooking it, remembering vaguely the cooking lessons that the women of the village had tried to pound into her head. She poured some water from her canteen into the pot of meat to make a sort of soup, but she kind of wanted to make a stew. She hummed to herself as she waited for the food to cook, and Vahn spent the time doing some talking with Meta a bit of a distance away.

Finally, the food was done, and Shera dished it up, glad that she had figured out how much they needed for enough of a meal for both of them. There was only a bit of food left in the pot when they were both done, so they tossed it with the carcass, even though they both didn't want to waste the meat. They continued on towards the mountain, only taking some of the meat with them for another meal at dusk.

Shera yawned a bit as she looked up at the mountain they were going to have to climb to reach the Genesis Tree. Fortunately, it looked like an old volcano, which meant that there would be lava tubes for them to trek through at least part of the way. Who knew if they would lead upwards, though. Vahn's attention abruptly flicked to Meta, and Shera stopped for a moment, having passed him when he stopped.

It took a moment or two before the young man noticed that Shera's attention was on him. He dropped his right arm and started walking again, this time a bit faster. Shera lifted an eyebrow at him, but kept pace.

"**Meta says there's someone at the summit that we should meet."** Both of Shera's eyebrows rose now.

"**And here I thought we'd be the only ones wandering about in the Mist,"** she said softly, with a smile. Vahn smirked as well, and pulled Shera back as a flying Seru dive-bombed her. The brunette then almost tripped over an overly-large caterpillar, which she promptly kicked off the pathway. Vahn dealt with the Seru quickly, and Shera watched as it turned into dust after it had landed on the ground. **"Those things look so weird..."** Vahn shrugged his shoulders and walked up to the rock wall.** "You can't be thinking of climbing that..." **Shera trailed off when Vahn did start to climb, and sighed before following, taking a different route with different hand-holds.

Shera managed to find the tunnel first, and Vahn had to climb down a bit to reach where she was. The girl had also found a chest full of things that she figured had been left behind by the people of the castle when they went to pray to the Genesis Tree. There was a hard blue glove that was entirely too big for her hands, a pretty red gem on a bracelet, a pendant in the shape of a bird, a bottle full of water with a label she couldn't read, and another bottle full of a light blue liquid. There was a plant flowering by the box she'd found the things in, and she recognized the shapes of the leaves. After a moment, she also plucked off a single flower, deciding to try and see if it had the same healing properties. The flower wasn't fully opened, though it was the one that the most open.

**"Here, Vahn. It's too big for me to use."** She handed the glove to Vahn, who slipped it onto the hand that Meta wasn't on. He flexed his hand, and then smiled.

**"You get the knife back, then."** Shera rolled her eyes at Vahn, but accepted the blade and its sheathe, tucking both into the back of her belt. **"How much farther do you think we have to climb?"** Shera sighed slightly as she sat on the cliff's edge, looking out towards where the ocean would be. She missed it, actually. Looking over the plains wasn't nearly as soothing as watching the soft motion of the waves. And it didn't help that the mountains cut off the horizon before it naturally ended.

**"Does it look like I can tell?"** Vahn winced at the sting in her words, and looked up at the sky. They both closed their eyes as they felt the wind blow gently along the side of the mountain. **"Sorry. I'm just edgy cause I can't see the ocean."** Vahn blinked at Shera as she looked out towards the mountains again.

**"Considering how you arrived in Rim Elm, I'm surprised you like the ocean as much as you do."** A slight smirk twitched Shera's lips, and she stood, taking a step back from the cliff face. **"Come on, if there's someone waiting for us at the top, the least we should do is get there as fast as possible."** Vahn nodded and started down the dark tunnel as well.

They were ambushed by another of the strange flying Seru, and Vahn again took over fighting that as Shera noticed a strange object 'walking' its way towards him. She took out her dagger and threw it into what she was pretty sure its head. It let out a groan and collapsed, making Vahn glance back, his eyes wide with surprise.

The Seru decided to take advantage of Vahn's distraction, only to have his right fist, the one with Meta attached to it, slammed into its face. Shera was pretty sure that she saw a glint of light, and the Seru flapped backwards before fading. Her eyes widened, and she stared. Vahn also blinked, but looked down at Meta for a moment.

**"Wh-what just happened?"** Shera's voice wasn't as shrill as it had been in the castle when Meta had called out that Gimard, but it was still rather heavily tinged with surprise.

**"Meta just absorbed that Seru. He says that when he summons it, it'll heal us. Well, whichever one he targets it with."** Shera blinked, still looking rather surprised.

**"Well, that's handy."** Shera went to pick up her knife from where it had lodged into the strange creature's head, and pulled a piece of cloth out of a belt pouch to wipe it off before sheathing it. Vahn waited a moment for her before starting to walk as well.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

And Shera gets to see Vahn acquire a Seru for the first time! He got the Gimard, the only other Seru introduced, while still in Rim Elm, which is why he was able to use it against the Skeleton. ( I hate them. Especially in the second game. Hate Force is EVIL!) Next chapter, Shera and Vahn will meet Noa! Will Shera grow to dislike the peppy, hyper redhead, or will she show some maternal instincts? Find out next time!


	4. Winds of Change

Welcome to chapter 3 of Whispers of the Water! I apologize for the delay between the last chapter and this one. I was caught up in my other story, To Have Loved and Lost. This story is likely to be just as long, if not longer, than my True Gaia series. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Legaia. I do, however, own Shera.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Chapter 3: Winds of Change

It took them a while, but the two of them (plus Meta, but Shera counted him as part of Vahn.) made it out and up to the top of the dormant volcano before the sun was too high in the sky. Shera blinked as she saw a redheaded young girl trying to fight some big flying thing. Vahn did the same, but he didn't charge towards the fight like Shera did.

The redhead yelped as Shera pulled her down just in time to evade a slice from the thing's overgrown claws. She turned her big green eyes on the brunette as she stood and glanced at Vahn, who had stopped paying attention to Meta and started paying attention to his surroundings.

**"You alright?"** Shera turned her stormy grey-blue eyes on the redhead, a sort of calming in them that wasn't ever towards any guys. Her eyes skimmed over the girl's body, and she frowned as she saw all the wounds. **"Vahn, you remember what you were telling me earlier?"** The blunette looked over his shoulder at them, and she nodded her head to the kid.

**"Right. Keep this thing occupied, then. And don't get yourself killed."** Shera merely grinned as she stood and pulled the knife out of its sheathe to hold it in a fighting grip in front of her as she stared down what she could feel was a Seru.

Shera paced away from Vahn and the girl to the side, getting more space for them to dodge if they needed to. The Seru charged at her, and she rolled to the side to dodge its claws, standing to slash at its left wing. It roared in pain and anger at her as she darted out from under it. Its left claw barely grazed her chest, but she did a somersault to make sure she was out of the way.

Unfortunately, she hadn't kept in mind that even though its wing was now lying limply on the ground, it could still move to attack. She bit back a scream as its claws dug into her arm, and backed up almost to the genesis tree, holding her arm. Her knife had been dropped as soon as her right arm had been injured, unable to hold the weapon.

**"Shera!"** Shera's eyes flicked from the Seru to Vahn, who was looking both angry and worried.

**"I'll be fine! Just concentrate on killing it!"** The Seru still hadn't taken its attention away from Shera, and sliced at her with its claws again. She dropped to her knees to avoid it, but then found that she couldn't force herself to stand again. She was bleeding rather heavily. **"D-dammit..."** Shera blinked a couple of times, trying to keep from blacking out. She removed a bloody hand from her injury and dug through her belt pouch, trying to find the packet of healing leaves. A slight whine came from nearby, and she turned her head.

**["Child...Are you...traveling with Vahn?"]** Shera's eyes widened, staring at the old wolf lying injured near her. There was an odd green shape attached to its wolf.

**"Y-yes, I am."** She winced as she heard how weak she sounded, and found the packet and pulled it out. She pulled out a couple of the leaves and gently crushed it before letting the juices that dripped out of the plump leaf fall into her wound. It stung a bit, so she winced, but it did the trick and started to heal.

**["I am Terra, a Ra-Seru... I may not be able...to move much...and my energy is draining...but here, allow me to finish...healing your wounds for you..."]** Shera blinked as the green shape on the wolf's head glowed, and then the wound on her arm. She felt her light-headedness disappear and her strength return, and she nodded her thanks to the Ra-Seru, putting away the packet of leaves. **["Please...Help Noa."]**

Shera paused to look down at the Ra-Seru attached to the wolf's head, and nodded before darting over to pick up her knife and slip back into the fray, slicing the tendons of its other wing as it tried to hit the redhead with it.

**"Shera! What did you-"** Shera darted backwards again as the Seru tried to slice her open again, and then glanced over at the other two. There was a slight red glow around Meta as he spoke to Vahn, which explained why the blunette's sentence had been cut off in the middle.

**"Less talking, more fighting."** Shera stepped to the right as the Seru tried to swing downwards at her, and sliced at a tendon with her dagger. It didn't cut it all the way, but her blade was stained red with its blood again.

The redhead seemed to be concentrating on trying to hit its eyes, which was probably a really good tactic, and Vahn looked like he was concentrating, and Meta was glowing slightly. Fire erupted around his hand suddenly, and he dashed towards the Seru. Shera decided that it would be best for her to act as support, and drew its attention by darting forwards to stab her knife into its paw. It turned its head and roared right in her face, lifting its abused paw to slash down at her.

Vahn arrived right then, though, and punched upwards at the creature's head, somehow putting enough force into the blow to make it flip over and land on its back. Shera winced as she heard snapping from what she assumed were its wings, and then took a step back as fractures appeared all over it. She glanced at Vahn, with her eyes wide, and he looked just as clueless. The Seru shattered, the dust floating off on a stiff wind.

The burst of energy that she had gotten when Terra healed her wore off, and she fell to one knee, blinking a few times as she suddenly realized there was sweat dripping into her eyes. She noticed Vahn immediately knelt next to her, looking concerned, and she shook her head at him, showing she was fine.

**"Just tired...I guess you really are on a different level than me, now..."** Noa, the redhead, started to try to lift the wolf by herself, and Shera stood. **"Here, let us help. We don't want to hurt her more than she already is."** Vahn blinked at Shera as she limped over to Noa and lifted the wolf's front. Vahn walked over to support the wolf's rear, and they moved to lay it near the Genesis Tree.

**["Thank you..."]** Shera blinked as the Ra-Seru addressed her and licked her hand slightly as she remained kneeling where she was. Vahn approached the tree, and lifted his hand to touch the trunk. A familiar red light filled his palm, and then moved to sink into the trunk of the tree. Shera closed her eyes for a moment as the tree shone brightly, though she felt the calmness emanate from this tree the same as she had from the one in Rim Elm.

Once the bright flash of light had passed, she opened her eyes again, and looked up to watch the tree grow. Noa was standing to her left, though the redhead helped her to stand. Apparently it was obvious that she was feeling weak from that injury yet. Vahn moved out of the pillar of light that had formed, and glanced over at Shera for a moment.

Before he had a chance to ask if she was feeling alright again, the wolf sat up and the green object came off of its head, floating over to Noa, who stuck out her left hand for it to attach to. There was a small flash of light as the metallic thing started to configure itself to fit around the girl's hand.

As Shera was blinking away the stars that dotted her vision from that light, she felt something brush past her left leg...which she quickly realized was hurting quite badly. She felt arms around her suddenly, and then she felt like she was floating, the pain gone. She didn't feel sore, just tired.

**"Shera! Come on, don't fall asleep!"** She wearily blinked again, starting to be able to see past the white dots. Vahn looked...panicked.

**"Here, let me handle keeping her awake. You heal her leg."** The redhead entered Shera's vision as Vahn's face disappeared. **"I'm sorry. I thought you noticed that your leg was bleeding and decided to ignore it."** Oh, so that's what was wrong with her leg? No wonder it hadn't been able to support her whole weight and she had to kneel.

Hold on...When had she been laid on the ground? Pain suddenly flared into Shera's left leg, and she jerked, trying to sit up. Noa, though, put both her hands on Shera's shoulders to keep her down.

**"Sorry, Shera. It's gonna hurt for a bit."** That was Vahn...Well, at least the one that she knew had access to healing magic was the one tending to her wound...But why was it gonna-

Shera bit down a scream as she felt something enter her skin several times. She would have punched Vahn if not for the fact that Noa was holding her down with more force than she'd thought the redhead would have. Either the Ra-Seru gave her that much more strength, or Shera was just feeling that weak.

Vahn was done, finally, and Noa helped Shera to sit up. The brunette was shaking and sweating, but she still had enough energy to glare at Vahn. He was wiping something off, and smiled a bit sheepishly as he noticed her glare.

**"Sorry. Your wound needed stitches, though. That thing cut a pretty big flap off of your leg."** She looked at her leg, and winced as she saw how much blood had soaked into her pants. **"Meta had just enough energy to make it so that you weren't bleeding as much, and to clean it out."** Again, she winced, and made as if she wanted to stand.

**"No, we should camp here for the night."** Noa kept Shera from moving again, to the brunette's annoyance. **"Besides, you shouldn't move around on that leg just yet. You might rip the wound open again."** With a sigh, Shera gave in. She just didn't have the energy to argue at both of them right then. Besides, the sun was going down anyhow.

**"...Fine..."** Noa grinned, and started to run around to find things to burn for a fire. Vahn helped Shera up and to the tree to lean against it, being surprisingly gentle for all that he was aiding his rival. Not that he thought that way.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

The next dawn found Shera lying curled up on her right side, her open cape draped over her as a blanket. Vahn was sprawled out not too far from her, sleeping about as silently. Noa, however, was up already, and was watching the sunrise with wonder on her face. It was only her third day out of the Snowdrift Cave, and yet...well, she wasn't sure they did the same, but she considered Shera and Vahn to be friends and companions. Vahn had a Ra-Seru like she did, and Shera...Shera was really nice. She saw Noa was in trouble and charged straight into a dangerous battle for someone she didn't know.

**["That may have simply been recklessness on her part, Noa."]** The redhead looked at the green glove that covered her left hand as it glowed softly.

**"Yeah, but...It was still awfully brave of her."** She felt Terra's amusement, and then looked over her shoulder as she heard someone moving around. Shera was still curled up, sleeping soundly, though Vahn was sitting up, yawning. **"Good morning!"** The blunette turned his head as if he could see her even with his back to her, and then stood, stretching.

**"Good morning, Noa."** They'd talked a bit after Shera had fallen asleep the night before. She'd been surprised to find that Shera was considered Vahn's rival in their hometown until the blue-haired one mentioned that gaining Meta had increased his strength. That might explain why, even though Shera had seemed to be so _strong_ during the fight against Caruban, she was so weak when Noa had to keep her down. Well, that could also have been due to blood loss...

As Noa watched, Vahn knelt next to Shera to press a gentle hand to her forehead, to check and see if she had a fever. He'd mentioned he was worried about that, since the only time he'd ever seen her with a fever, she wasn't able to get out of bed for a full week, it had been so strong.

**"Bug off, Vahn..."** Noa grinned as Shera's sleepy complaint emerged from under her mess of hair. She'd unbraided it the night before, though Noa saw her starting to try to comb through it with her fingers, sitting up. She seemed to be in a really sour mood, though that may have simply been because of her leg.

Once her hair was braided, Shera tried to stand, and ended up needing Noa's help again. The dried meat that Noa had brought from wherever she'd lived was passed out amongst them for them to munch on while they traveled, and they started the painstaking task of getting down the mountain again.

It was a bit nerve-racking, especially when they reached the part that Shera and Vahn had had to rock-climb to get up. With Terra's help, though, they found an alternate route for each area where Shera would have had an issue.

By the time they reached the base, however, Shera was sweating slightly from pain and they had to stop for a while. Vahn checked the wound on Shera's leg, and replaced the bandages he'd made from the torn part of Shera's pants. Noa spent that time darting around killing things that were attracted by the scent of blood, and they stood to keep going after that.

There weren't as many creatures willing to attack them on the plains now that the Mist was gone. Both Vahn and Shera were thankful for that, but it seemed that Noa hadn't really noticed a difference. She was too busy trying out some new technique or another to.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

The guards standing outside the Mountain Gate of Drake Castle peered towards the pinprick of light partway across the plains between the dormant volcano and the craggy gate. Was that...a campfire? Could it be the ones who banished the Mist? They debated amongst themselves, and then sent a message to King Drake III. They'd been told to keep an eye out for the arrival of the ones that were most likely to be their saviors, the ones who walked through the Mist without fear.

They'd spoken amongst themselves all through the day, trying to figure out about how long it would take to reach Drake Castle from the summit of Mt. Rikuroa, and they were somewhat disturbed when the awaited ones weren't within sight by the day's end. Though, the light of their fire showed their presence in the dark, easing their worries.

When they spotted the trio the next day, though, they weren't expecting a young man, a young woman, and a child. Nor were they expecting to see the young woman supported by the young man as she walked, obviously injured. The child was the one darting about and killing the monsters that would have attacked them.

By the time they arrived at the gate, there were a full platoon of soldiers standing there to greet them, along with the king himself. King Drake's eyes were on the young woman, though, concerned more about her than he was eager to know their tale. Had there been a battle? He hadn't thought about that possibility. If that were so, had any of their number been killed? He would have a hard time accepting that, if it were true. They stopped just in front of him, the brunette woman studying him from under her bangs. That one held quite a bit of knowledge, and was quite possibly smarter than she appeared.

"**Travelers, are you the ones that have driven away the Mist?"** Vahn blinked at the king, obviously recognizing him, but Noa beat him to the answer.

"**Yup! Vahn woke up the Genesis Tree!"** Shera smirked at Noa's energy as she bounced up and down.

"**So what we heard was true! One look at the shining Seru on your arms, and I understand how this miracle occurred."** Shera blinked. She didn't have a Ra-Seru. Maybe he was thinking that she had been a traveler that had been found and rescued by Vahn and Noa? **"Your companion seems injured, though. Please, come."** He bowed slightly, and both Vahn and Shera found themselves nodding awkwardly back to him, seeing as neither could bow at the moment.

They followed him into his castle, the king continuing to talk. **"I am Drake III, king of this castle. You have my deepest gratitude."** Vahn was being rather careful with Shera, and, though she was tired and therefore slightly grumpy, she was able to keep her tongue in check and not scold the blunette. **"Here. The three of you may rest in the guest rooms. I will call for my personal physician to take a look at the young lady's leg."** Shera blinked slightly at the king, a bit surprised that he would do that.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

Later on, once Shera's leg had been checked and declared perfectly fine, the trio of travelers were invited to join the king for dinner. Noa and Shera were given dresses that they could wear, and Vahn was given some clean clothes as well.

While waiting, Shera had been mending her armor, which confused the servants a bit. It hadn't sustained too much damage, but there were scratches that needed attention. Noa sat and watched for a while, but went to look for Vahn after a while, bored. Shera was measured for some new clothes to wear under her armor, mainly for pants.

She still limped as she walked, but Shera was able to walk around without help. The people of the castle were polite enough to her, though it seemed they weren't aware she had been traveling with Vahn and Noa. That was just fine with her, though, and she learned a lot about the Drake kingdom than if she would have if she were walking around with Vahn or Noa.

The dress that Shera showed up to the dinner in was a simple blue dress that made her eyes seem bluer than they normally were. She noticed that Vahn took a couple of looks at her before seemingly accepting that she was dressed like a woman. Noa looked a bit awkward in her green dress. Both were wearing their hair loose, and Shera's was curling slightly.

**"Ah, good. You are feeling well now?"** Shera nodded and took her seat in the chair that one of the servants pulled back for her, smiling slightly.

**"My leg is still sore, but it is bearable."** The king nodded, smiling with relief. The food arrived shortly, and Shera showed that she had learned the proper manners, and then had to try to show Noa, who hadn't learned them yet.

**"I would like to hear your story."** Shera blinked as she looked to King Drake from correcting how Noa was holding her fork again. She exchanged a slightly amused glance with Vahn, and nodded to him. She was busy, so until he reached the point where she left the village to catch up to him, she allowed him to tell it all. Then it was Noa's turn, as Shera hadn't had much to tell. **"I see...So Shera chased after Vahn as he left Rim Elm to find and revive the Genesis Trees to keep a promise to her sister, and Noa lived beyond Mt. Rikuroa..."**

Vahn fiddled with the napkin on his lap, the movement catching Shera's eye. **"Actually, Your Majesty, there was another reason I left Rim Elm. I spoke to the Village Elder before I left home. He had requested that I go to the Biron Monastery. The last anyone heard from Mei's mother, ten years ago, she was working there."** Shera's eyes widened slightly.

**"That's...what you were going to tell me and forgot about?"** Vahn smiled slightly sheepishly at Shera, rubbing the back of his head. The king looked between them as they waited for the next course, looking slightly confused. **"Mei is my sister. About seven or eight years ago, I washed up on the shores of Rim Elm. Her father, Juno, offered to take me in and raised me as his own child."** The king stroked his moustache thoughtfully.

**"I see. In that case, my decision to open the Water Gate must have posed quite the obstacle."** The final course of food arrived, and Shera blinked at the small sugar statues. **"Hm. A meager meal, but I suppose that was to be expected as no fields were tilled for ten years."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at him for a moment. It had been a far larger meal than they had ever had at Rim Elm. **"I will have a soldier sent out to close the Water Gate as soon as this meal is done, and check the state of the bridge. I fear that without any maintenance for ten years that it has fallen into a sad state of disrepair."** Vahn nodded, and started to munch at the piece he had broken off of the sugar statuette.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

The next morning, Shera woke up in the guest quarters, and sat up before flinching, putting a hand near her left leg, remembering that it had been injured a few days ago. There was a knock on the door, and she lifted her head to see Noa walk in, dressed, as she was, in a nightgown.

**"Yay, you're up! Vahn wanted to know if he could try healing your leg again. He says that it probably won't work all the way, but..."** Shera smiled and stood, resting most of her weight on her left foot.

**"Sure. I should probably change into something other than this, though, huh?"** She gestured towards her nightgown, smiling slightly. Noa blinked, and tilted her head to the side, clueless. **"I'd rather not have Vahn see me in my bedclothes. Here, help me balance?"** Noa walked up to offer her shoulder to Shera. They'd found out while traveling that when Shera had just woken up, her sense of balance was completely gone.

The redhead helped Shera to get dressed in a pair of slightly loose pants and a simple shirt before letting her sit down on a chair. Noa didn't notice that Shera grabbed a book that had been sitting near the chair and left to find Vahn.

Shera definitely had her nose buried into the book when Vahn arrived, and the blunette cleared his throat to get her to look up. He had a smile on his face at that, and she rolled her eyes before setting the book aside.

**"That still the one from the guest room?"** Shera nodded as Vahn rolled up her pants leg to reveal the bandages on her leg. Meta glowed on his wrist, and the translucent shape of the bat Seru, the Vera, appeared. Shera almost flinched as she felt the effects of the spell. It wasn't painful, but it didn't feel...normal. **"There. That should be it."** Vahn pulled his hand away from the bandages, and Shera stood warily. Her eyebrows went up as she didn't feel the sharp pain from her wound.

**"That's mighty effective."** She bent down and unwrapped her leg to see the oddly shaped scar on her leg. It was faint, but present. She ran her fingers over the mark, lifting an eyebrow at the senseless skin. As she traced it, she frowned a little. It was as if she weren't touching herself. She could feel it on her fingers, but there was no sensation of it from her leg. **"No feeling...is that normal for scars?"** Vahn lifted an eyebrow at her.

**"I'm not sure. It may be."** Shera sighed a little, and rolled down the pants leg again. She then walked over to the wardrobe and pulled a tunic over her head. It was a simple thing, with a blue theme. **"They gave you more than the one dress?"** Shera cast her rival a flat look.

**"I didn't bring too many changes of clothes. The shirt and pants I was wearing during that fight got damaged, as you should remember. The tunic is what they gave me for when I didn't want to wear a dress but didn't want to seem terribly rude by wearing what amounted to work clothing."** Socks were pulled onto Shera's feet, and she then pulled on the thin shoes that were used to walk around indoors, here. **"Well, shall we go see if we can get some breakfast?"** Vahn chuckled slightly as he led the way out the guestroom door.

~~.~~.~~.~~

Shera watched as Noa darted around the market from where she sat on the bottom of the castle steps. The market had been set up in the castle's forecourt, and the people who had been trapped in the castle's enclaves were milling about, looking for necessities. Warriors and soldiers were gathering around the weapon and armor stalls, and women were looking at the meager grocery supplies, as well as the scarce textiles. Vahn was trailing along after Noa, who was talking to as many people as possible.

**"Hard to believe such a sweet girl is one of the kingdom's saviors, huh?"** Shera turned her head to look at the elderly man standing near her.

**"They haven't saved it yet. There's still Mist to the East."** The old man stared at Shera for a moment, as if asking her how she dared to be so pessimistic. **"The Genesis Trees have the power to push the Mist back only so far. Rim Elm's Genesis Tree barely secured Hunter's Spring. I imagine that Mount Rikuroa's power doesn't even reach the Biron Monastery."** The man stared at her now.

**"You...you are the girl that travels with Vahn, correct? The girl from Rim Elm?"** Shera blinked. She wasn't aware that people had been talking about her as well.

**"Yes, I am." **The man hummed slightly, still staring at her. **"Is there some particular reason this fact is important?"** The old man chuckled slightly and looked back towards Noa.

**"Hm...I believe you are more remarkable than either of the other two. To survive in the Mist without the aide of a holy Seru...Perhaps your strength is greater than theirs..."** Shera tilted her head and looked at the man oddly.

**"Shera, there you are."** The brunette blinked and leaned back slightly to look up at Vahn, who smiled down at his sometimes rival. **"You're keeping an eye on Noa?"** Shera smiled slightly and then turned her eyes back to the marketplace.

**"That and keeping off my feet. I never knew how big Drake Kingdom was until I had to walk halfway across it."** Vahn laughed and sat down on the step above the brunette.

**"Yeah, well...This wasn't my first time here. When I was younger...I walked through the Mist to come here and get some Drake water. It...didn't work out that well, in the end."** Shera turned her eyes to the blunette, but didn't say anything, sensing how delicate that subject was.

**"Vahn! Shera!"** Bothe looked to the hyperactive redhead that was charging in their direction. **"Look what the nice guy at the armor shop gave me!"** Shera winced mentally as she saw the fighting robe in Noa's arms. It was designed as much to draw the attention of male fighters as it was to protect from monsters' attacks. And considering the thickness of the cloth, it was definitely armor.

**"I don't suppose he gave it to you for free, did he?"** Vahn noted the dry tone in Shera's voice. Noa got a slightly confused look on her face and tilted her head to the side. Shera read the look accurately, and let her head fall back a little with a sigh.

**"He said something about money, and then said that he'd just give it to me cause I didn't understand."** Vahn chuckled, and then stood.

**"Then yes, he did give it to you for free. Shera, come on, I want to see what weapons they have here, since a single knife between the three of us won't be much use."** The brunette sighed a little and stood, brushing off her tunic and pants before patting her belt pouch to make sure it was still there.

**"Oh, I don't know, it was doing just fine for us all the way up until we met Noa,"** she drawled, a slight smirk on her face. Vahn rolled his eyes at her, and led the way to the armor/weapons shop, Noa tagging along behind.

**"Ah, the saviors of Drake Castle! Welcome, what can I do for you?"** Shera smiled slightly at the eager shopkeeper, her eyes already scanning over the weapons behind the counter.

**"Ah, well...Between the three of us, we've only got a single small knife as a weapon."** Vahn rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. The shopkeeper's eyes lit up at this information as Shera's eyes landed on a particular pair of weapons.

**"Well, what sort of weapons are you looking for?"** Vahn looked at Shera, as if to exchange glances with her, and noticed her attention on something at the back of the shop. The shopkeeper noticed as well, and took the odd weapons off the pegs they were sitting on.

**"Ah, so you're interested in these tonfas, miss? I admit, I didn't think you were the type to use them."** The man offered the items to Shera for inspection, and she gripped the handles, stepping off to the side and experimenting. **"But perhaps I was wrong. Have you ever used a pair before?"** Shera ended her evaluations of the weapon with the longer part of the rod along her forearm.

**"No, I haven't. But I can feel what style would best be used with them."** There was a slight smirk on her face as she looked over the tonfa she held with her concentration more on the quality of its construction rather than the way to use it. Vahn, noticing this, chuckled and bargained for a decent price for his rival's new toys, as well as a short sword for himself, feeling better about his chances with a weapon actually in his hand rather than armed with a simple glove that wasn't even part of a pair.

After the gold for the weapons was handed over, Shera tucked the tonfas into the back of her belt, deciding that she'd have to figure out how to keep them on her without being either uncomfortable or being unable to pull them out at a moment's notice. She then led the way to get supplies for their traveling, Vahn keeping Noa occupied and from bothering the people around them.

Whereas Vahn used slight intimidation to get the price down, Shera chatted all the way through the process with the woman who owned the stand, and got a discount for being so personable. Vahn couldn't help but feel bemused at that, as the Shera he knew was far from nice. That was almost creepy, the way she was able to change how she acted depending on who she was talking with.

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I'm sort of embarressed that there's so many breaks in this chapter. I was having a bit of trouble keeping it flowing, and that seemed to be the best answer. Regardless, I'll try to get to the next region before going back to my True Gaia series.

I know there are people reading this story! I see the hits! So why am I getting no reviews for it?! ~goes and sulks in a corner~


	5. Calm before the Storm

Welcome to the fourth chapter of Whispers of the Water! I'm kinda bummed that this story has yet to get any reviews...Ah, well. It _is_ in a small catagory.

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Chapter 4: Calm before the Storm

Shera listened to the thrumming that her tonfas made as she spun them in the air, her eyes constantly moving as she peered into the murky darkness. They'd left Drake Castle behind a couple of days ago, and it was now night. Shera was standing watch despite the fuss that Vahn and Noa had put forth on the account that she didn't have a Ra-Seru to warn her if a Seru came near. They were forced to swallow their words when Shera pointed out that they had yet to see Seru outside of villages. Their logic defeated, they allowed her to stand watch until the moon was directly overhead.

**"On edge, yet?"** Shera's head turned sharply as she heard a voice, but then relaxed as she recognized it as Vahn's. **"Gah, you're jumpy."** Shera relaxed the grip she had on her tonfa last, going back to spinning it idly.

**"I thought you were asleep."** Vahn chuckled slightly and sat down a couple of feet from the brunette. He looked up at the hazy moon high above them, its light shining gently on his bright blue hair.

**"I was for a while. Had a bad dream, though."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at this.

**"I didn't know you were prone to them."** Vahn's gusty sigh disappeared into the darkness, muffled by the Mist surrounding them.

**"I'm not, but...I guess the elders' stories about the Mist affecting the minds of humans through dreams is true. I dreamt of Rim Elm getting attacked again. Only I wasn't able to get to the Genesis Tree. It kept...moving away from me."** Shera frowned at that.

**"Sounds more like your subconscious was letting you know you're doubting yourself."** A slightly annoyed sound came from Vahn. **"I noticed it a while ago. You've been talking to Meta to get advice, haven't you? You don't know how to lead a group, and since Noa joined us...Heck, since I caught up with you, you've been worrying about it."** Another sigh came from Vahn, though this one sounded more tired than the last one.

**"Have I told you how much I hate your powers of observation?"** A chuckle came from Shera at this. All through Rim Elm, she was known for being able to pick out what was bothering a person. **"Anyway...You've been having bad dreams, too."** The chuckle immediately disappeared, as did the soft thrumming of the tonfa's path.

**"My dreams, though...They're all of that creature that destroyed the Wall. Sometimes it's aiming directly at me, sometimes it aims at Mei, Val, Nene, and the others." **Vahn looked at Shera, noticing how pale she was in the filtered moonlight. She was always so tan. He couldn't ever remember her getting sunburnt, and she never got darker than a fair bronze. The palest he had ever seen her was when she had first arrived.

**"...I didn't see it clearly."** Shera smirked slightly, putting away her tonfas so that she could cross her arms. It was a sad smirk, oddly enough.

**"You're lucky in that. I doubt I will forget any time soon."** They were silent for a little while longer, and Shera looked up towards the sky, taking her eyes off of the Mist around them. **"It terrified me."** Vahn blinked and looked to her. **"I could feel how much power it had. I thought it was going to just blow up the whole village. But it didn't. And I can't figure out why."** Vahn tilted his head to the side before turning his eyes to the Mist. The moon was almost overhead, anyway.

**"It's natural to be afraid. It shows our limits."** A sigh from Shera told him that wasn't what she had wanted to hear.

**"That may be, yes, but I've never felt such fear. I didn't fear the Seru, or even that Zeto guy, as much as I feared that creature. And what's more...I couldn't, and still can't, tell what it is. It felt similar to the Seru, but it wasn't the same. It felt...more intelligent."** Shera sighed and stretched her arms over her head.

**"Go to sleep, Shera. I'll take over the watch for now. You tire easier than I do."** The girl looked to him, and paused a moment before nodding and walking to the fire to lay down rather near to Noa.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

The hazy sunlight woke Shera shortly after dawn, and she sat up with a slight groan, rubbing at her head. The smell of cooking meat made her blink at the fire, though, where Noa was cooking.

**"Good morning, Shera! Breakfast's almost done."** The tonfa wielder merely grumbled and stood to stretch, mentally cursing her habit of sleeping in her armor. Several pops came from her shoulders and back, showing just how stiff she had gotten overnight.

**"Mm...Do we know how many days until we reach the monastery?"** Noa shrugged her shoulders and looked to Vahn, who was stretching and rubbing sleep out of his eyes. It seemed that Noa had woken up before dawn and sent Vahn to sleep.

**"We should get there by the end of the day."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at that, and sat down to check her tonfas. It had already become a habit for her to check what kind of state they were in. She didn't know how to fix them, as they were made of wood, but the least she could do was keep an eye on them.

**"Good. We're starting to run low on supplies. I underestimated Noa's appetite."** Vahn lifted an eyebrow at Shera as Noa pouted at the older female.

**"I can't help it that you two eat way less than me!"** Shera smirked slightly and looked at the redhead, putting her tonfa down for a moment.

**"Noa, I was joking. You eat so much because you're still growing. Heck, Vahn is, too. It was my own fault for not thinking of that when I was buying supplies."** Shera pulled out her wooden bowl and gestured for Noa to dish up the food. **"It's done now."** The redhead jumped and realized that she was right.

Noa paused as she was eating, her eyes on Shera's bowl. It was so pretty. She couldn't tell what the pattern was, though. And judging by how it looked a little worn, she had been using it for a good few years. The brunette noticed the redhead looking, and lifted an eyebrow, her spoon still in her mouth.

**"Where did you get your bowl, Shera?"** Vahn coughed slightly into his food, and Shera looked like she was laughing, grinning with her spoon still between her teeth.

**"Vahn made it for me when I was younger. I had a tendency to sit and stare out at the ocean for hours at a time, so he decided to make me a bowl with a wave design on the sides."** The woman ran her fingers over the raised design, a smile on her face. **"I can't even remember the last time I was out of sight of the ocean, let alone so long."**

Shera scraped up the last of her breakfast, and then washed out the bowl with a bit of water from her canteen, making sure to only pour as much as was needed for the task. The other two quickly followed suit, and the fire was buried.

**"Heh. This is quickly becoming a routine,"** Vahn joked slightly as they headed out, Noa darting ahead of the other two as a sort of scout. Shera had the habit of spinning her tonfas as she walked, which created a soft thrumming sound which the blue-haired man was sure would start to grate on his nerves soon. It was incessant, except for when they were engaged in a small fight.

**"Considering that we have done nothing but travel for the past few days, I'm not surprised. There's only so much to occupy our minds."** Shera stretched her arms over her head, her tonfas quieting for the moment.

**"Hey guys! I think I see something ahead!"** Shera blinked and looked towards Noa, and squinted in the direction the redhead was pointing.

**"Doesn't quite look like a part of the mountain..."** Vahn nodded, and Noa waited for them to catch up. As they got closer to the strange thing in the distance, Shera started to feel something different.

**"Hey Vahn...I'm starting to feel like we're being followed."** The blue-haired man looked towards his rival, lifting an eyebrow. He started to look around, but the brunette shook her head slightly. **"We only need to be aware that they're there. If they attack, we won't be caught off guard."** Vahn tilted his head to the side at that, but didn't say anything to the contrary.

**"You know an awful lot about travel when you've never done so in your own memory."** Shera shrugged slightly, showing why there was so much room between her and the others as her tonfa nearly touched Vahn's elbow.

**"I'm mostly going off of common sense. If you were following someone, and they suddenly stopped and looked around, wouldn't you do something? Say...immediately attack before they spot you?"** Vahn paused in walking for a moment, looking towards the sky.

**"I guess so..."** He then looked to Shera, who nodded slightly, and the two of them turned so that they were back to back, looking around.

A strange sound made Shera's eyes snap to a dim form in the Mist, and her hands squeaked slightly against her tonfa. This seemed to be a sort of signal between her and Vahn, who then glanced over his shoulder at her, and saw where she was looking.

The odd creature waddled its way into their view. It looked as if it were part plant, though it had a mouth with wide lips and wasn't rooted into the ground.

**"What is that?"** Shera shook her head, her eyes narrowed at the creature distrustfully. Noa, deciding that waiting to see what it did was boring, darted forwards to swipe at the creature.

The green thing, in return, stretched out its left 'arm', and whipped it at the redhead. The girl yelped as she jumped backwards, covering the angry red line on her upper arm. Vahn, without waiting to see what exactly had been done, darted forwards and swiped at the creature. Shera soon joined in, as soon as she had forced Noa to show her her arm.

The creature died quickly, the structure that seemed to be its head caved in as its arms and three legs had been hewn off. Vahn paused to catch his breath from the scare and looked at Noa's wound, which turned out to only be an angry welt as Shera poked the creature, trying to figure out more about it.

Once she gave up, she turned to the other two and they headed off again. Only this time, Noa stayed near them the whole time.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

Shera sent a slightly wary look up at the huge stone structure they were entering. She could feel life within, but she didn't know whether it would be like Drake Castle or not. She really hoped it wasn't. She wasn't in the mood to have to fight her way through another fortress.

The door to the outside was wide open, which made them all rather uncertain. They passed uncertainly through a rather long tunnel, Noa grabbing hold of Vahn's hand that wasn't occupied by a sword. Shera was acting as scout, the thrumming of her tonfas echoing down the tunnel.

Finally, they reached an empty room with windows allowing dim light into the space. At the very center was a large lever, and situated around it were strange contraptions. Vahn and Shera exchanged looks, and the brunette tucked away one of her tonfas and pulled on the lever. She had to use most of her weight, so she almost stumbled as it suddenly gave way.

The door behind them shut suddenly, and Shera pulled out the tonfa she had tucked into her belt, crouching into a fighting stance as she stood with her back to Vahn and Noa. The contraptions around the lever started to turn suddenly, and the Mist was blown up and out of the room through the high windows. As that fact was being absorbed by the three travelers, Shera finally relaxing her stance, the door ahead of them opened, and a man rushed through, an angry look on his face.

Shera immediately went back into her stance, her eyes sharp as she looked over the man, who also dropped into a fighting stance. After a moment, though, both of them relaxed, and Shera tucked both of her tonfa into her belt. The brunette shook her head, a small smile on her face.

**"I don't believe it. I rush out thinking that some Seru are up to no good, and I find human visitors."** The man paused, turning to head back to where he came from, and looked to Vahn, as he was the only male. **"Well then, come with me! I'll introduce you to everyone at Biron."** Shera looked to Vahn for a moment before leading the other two into the next room, which was rather brightly lit.

A slight smile curved Shera's lips as she heard the familiar sounds of people training. Tetsu had insisted that they all yell as they trained, after all, even though it led to them all having sore throats by the end of the day. It was a rather comforting sound.

**"I'm so glad you came. It's been a long time since Biron Monastery has had any real human visitors. I never thought anyone would come here while I was guarding the gate. You really surprised me!"** Shera cast a short glance to their guide, who was feeling rather chatty, it seemed. The yells got louder and louder, until they reached the end of the short tunnel. **"Ah, they're still in the middle of training. Hen it's over, I'll introduce you to Master Zopu."**

Shera's eyes were on the stage on the far side of the full room, where an old man was standing and watching the rest train. Their eyes met, and she saw the man lift an eyebrow. A touch on Shera's arm made her turn to look at Noa, lifting an eyebrow at her.

**"That is enough!"** Everyone in the room, including the visitors, turned to look at the old man, who laughed slightly. **"It seems we have visitors! What a rare treat."** The man looked down to the two who were directly in front of him, addressing them in particular. **"That's enough training for now."** Again he looked up to the rest of the monks. **"You may now attend to your individual tasks."** Vahn lifted his eyebrows as he looked over the many people gathered in the room.

**"Yessir!"** The force of the yell made Vahn take a step back, though it seemed that Shera wasn't as startled. The monks all scattered, some going off and training in pairs, others disappearing through a door in the back. The old man stepped off of the stage, folding his hands in the wide sleeves of his red robe. Shera bowed to him as he approached, trailing two young men who were also dressed differently from the rest of the monks.

**"Well, well! Welcome to Biron Monastery."** Vahn noticed Shera's gesture of respect, and did the same, hurriedly, making the brunette smirk slightly and hide a chuckle. **"Now then. Let me get a good look at you."**

Shera and Vahn exchanged a look, and then stepped forwards, stopping a respectful distance away. Shera clasped her hands together in front of her, showing that she had no intention to attack with the tonfas that were in plain sight.

Noa, being the effervescent girl she had been since they met, grinned widely, and gestured towards the two she was standing between.

**"I am Noa! With me here are Vahn and Shera!"** The brunette couldn't help but allow a look of amusement cross her face as she looked at the redhead. **"Good to meet you, old man!"** A flash of mild panic crossed her face, and the brunette unclasped her hands to reach out and tug gently on Noa's ear. **"Ow! Shera!"**

**"What have I told you about thinking, Noa?"** The brunette had a slightly tired tone to the question as the redhead thought for a moment, holding a finger up to her lower lip.

**"Do so before I speak?"**Shera released Noa's ear, as the brunette of the two young men behind Master Zopu shook with fury.

**"How dare you call Master Zopu 'old man'!"** Shera shook her head with a sigh as the outburst she had been hoping to avoid occurred anyway. The gesture was not lost on the others.

**"This young lady means to ill will. Master Teacher, stand down,"** Zopu chuckled. Shera rubbed her forehead as Vahn shook his head at Noa, having stayed quite to stay out of it all. The man getting scolded lightly frowned before bowing to his elder's command and leaving. **"I see. Vahn, Noa, and Shera. How do you do? I am Zopu."** Shera and Vahn both bowed again, their movements showing that they had been trained in the ways of Biron.

**"Master Tetsu has often spoken fondly of the monastery,"** Shera murmured, a slight smile still on her face. The old man lifted an eyebrow in surprise. **"Standing here now, I can see why."** The redhead standing behind Master Zopu eyed Shera, flicking from Noa and Vahn back to her, specifically their arms.

**"Hm...Your eyes are keen. And two of you have Seru, whilst the third remains unharmed...Alright, then! We welcome you here. Tonight, we shall have a feast in your honor."** Shera and Vahn exchanged slightly amused looks. It seemed that they would be attending many feasts on this journey, as everyone wanted to throw them one. **"Until then, you may make yourselves at home inside the monastery. Miss Shera, I am wishful to hear your account of Tetsu's training."** The brunette smiled slightly before bowing and following the old man out of the room.

As the brunette followed, she gave a glance towards the redhead that had yet to leave. He was staring at Meta, on Vahn's arm. She hoped that some of her tendencies had started to wear off on the blue-haired man.

The young woman accompanied the elder of the monastery up to the room that he seemed to share with another, who arrived shortly after they did, and was gestured to sit down, which she did so gratefully, if stiffly because of how long she had been on her feet recently.

**"I understand that you were trained in the ways of Biron?"** Shera nodded, feeling a little odd without her tonfas at her hips now, even though she knew it would be uncomfortable with them on while sitting. **"I have never known of a person to be able to walk through the Mist without incident. How are you able to do so, and how are your companions able to stay sane in the Mist?"** Shera took a moment to think before launching into her tale, hoping that they would be able to understand what she could not.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

Zopu was silent for a few minutes after Shera was done talking. So was Kin, the other elder of the young woman had changed how she sat after Kin had noticed how uncomfortable she was sitting formally.

**"I see...So the Seru they bear are holy Seru, able to withstand, and revive the Genesis Trees...But you say that is not the only reason you came to the monastery?"** Shera nodded. The book of Biron that she had found in Drake Castle was sitting before them, as they had insisted on inspecting it when they heard of it.

**"Yes. My foster sister, Mei, was left alone when our father died. It was only when I reached Drake Castle with Vahn and Noa that I discovered what other reason Vahn had had for leaving. It was to find Maya, my sister's mother."** Zopu closed his eyes for a moment, and chuckled.

**"Ah, Maya. She has become a mother to many of us."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at that. **"Master Teacher and Songi in particular are as sons to her." **Shera tilted her head to the side for a moment, an odd look on her face.

**"I am unsure of what to think of Master Teacher. He seems very...tense."** Zopu laughed slightly, nodding his agreement. A knock on the door made all three of the room's occupants turn as the door opened to admit Vahn.

**"Shera! She's here! Maya is here!"** The brunette smirked slightly, amused, and stood before bowing to Zopu and Kin. Her tonfas were handed to her by the one not wearing a large robe, and she smiled to him before hooking the weapons onto her belt. **"Shera?"** The brunette flashed her rival a grin before lightly smacking his face as she pushed past him.

**"What are you waiting for, Vahn? Show me where she is so I can meet her!"** The two elders laughed at their visitors' actions. The young had so much energy.

**"What do you think of the young lady, Kin?"** The man looked at the book that Shera had returned to them without touching it. It was still in rather pristine condition, considering all that it had been through.

**"She has much energy, but has tempered it with patience. She moves as a true warrior does, with quiet grace and pride. Her eyes see more than most her age do, and hold more knowledge than I believe either of us can understand."** Zopu frowned at that last statement, but allowed Kin to continue. **"She stated that she was not born in Rim Elm, but arrived there from the sea...There is much to be said of her."** The two elders sat in silence, both wrapped up in their own thoughts on the visitors.

~~.~~.~~.~~.~~

Shera's eyes darted around as Vahn led Shera through the monastery. Several monks glanced at them, though they seemed to be focusing more on Vahn than on her. She supposed it was because of the Ra-Seru. They were at least used to seeing women around, even if most of those they had seen hadn't been carting around weapons.

Laughter was coming from a door that a monk was guarding, and the man eyed her a bit warily. He was suddenly knocked out of the way as a familiar redhead barged her way out of the door. Noa noticed Shera and Vahn, and bounced up and down in front of them.

**"Shera! I like Maya! Come on, you will too! She's really nice!"** With that as the only warning, Shera was dragged into the room, a bemused look on her face. Had someone given Noa some sweets? She was certainly acting energetic enough for it.

The women inside the room swept up to greet the woman they'd heard so much about from Noa, and one in particular, a motherly woman with long green hair swept up, smiled at her.

**"You are Shera? I thank you for taking care of Vahn."** Shera smiled a little, rubbing the back of her head. Noa was already chattering with the rest of the women.

**"I initially left to make sure that he was safe for my sister."** The brunette pulled off the pendant and showed it to her. **"I believe you recognize this...?"** The green-haired woman picked the pendant up from her hand with a shaking hand.

**"Mei...Mei gave this to you?"** The woman looked at the old pendant carefully as Shera nodded, looking a little out of place in the room.

**"Juno adopted me after I washed up in Rim Elm. No one knows where exactly I'm from...I'm afraid I've forgotten everything I know of my life before that time. Well...Except that I have a brother."** Shera's nervous rambling was cut off as she was caught up in a hug. She stiffened immediately, her eyes wide.

When was the last time she had been hugged? Had it been Mei? Even then, no one had exactly made a habit of touching her, unless it were one of the boys sparring with her. And yet...standing there with Maya's arms around her...she felt comforted.

**"Thank Tieg they're safe...And to think, Juno adopted another daughter for me to love..."** Those words both made Shera extremely happy and sad at the same time. She should tell her that Juno was gone. That the reason Vahn had left, besides to revive the Genesis Trees, had been to bring her back so Mei wouldn't be alone anymore. But she couldn't bring herself to do so.

Maya slowly distanced herself from the brunette, and studied her face. There was surprise there, definitely. This girl...no, this woman was not familiar with the ways of women. She had been raised by several men. That much was apparent by how she stood, and how she tensed as soon as the elder woman's arms had been around her.

**"But you'll be in danger quite a bit, won't you."** It wasn't a question. The answer was clear in Shera's eyes. She would be traveling with Vahn, no matter what.

**"I made a promise to Mei. She likes Vahn. I told her I'd keep him safe. Even if I don't have a holy Seru like he and Noa do, I'll keep up. I'll carry my own weight."** A wry smirk twisted the serious brunette's lips momentarily. **"After all...of all the youngsters Tetsu trained in Rim Elm...In the end, he said that I, a girl, was his best student."** This announcement made Maya's eyes widen.

The green-haired woman drew her adoptive daughter off to the side, away from the rest in the room, returning the lucky charm to her. **"Please, tell me what memories you've made with Mei and Juno. Tell me what I've missed."** Shera smiled slightly, and sat down, searching through her earliest memories.

**"Well, I first met them when Juno came up to the elders' house to pick me up after Tetsu had hauled me from a tree..."**

**~~.~~.~~.~~.~~**

Shera sighed as she ran her fingers through her damp bangs. Maya had insisted that she and Noa take a bath before the feast. The green-haired woman had helped her in between darting to the kitchen to help book, and Shera couldn't help but see the similarities between the mother and the daughter, especially as she had seen Mei do much the same thing.

Shera's good tunic was set out for her to wear when she was fully cleaned, and her travel clothes were getting washed. Noa had washed and gotten out already, but Shera was content to take her time, as there really wasn't much for her to do here.

Vahn was off somewhere, she knew. Probably talking to one of the monks about something or other, or he may be doing what she had done earlier: spoken to Master Zopu. The old man seemed to be interested in hearing more than one side of the story. Likely to make sure that it was told accurately.

Shera's fingers traced the scar she had gotten from the fight on Mt. Rikuroa. She found it hard to believe that she had been able to walk on her leg with such a large wound. She had to hope that Maya didn't see it; it would only make the woman worry for her more.

Oh yes, Maya was already worrying about Shera. How much quicker she got tired than Vahn or Noa, how much less effect her attacks seemed to have on monsters, how she was able to be captured by a Seru and turned into a monster...There was nothing that Shera could do that would ease the woman's mind, she knew that much by now. Mei was the same way, at times.

Mei. Shera sighed and allowed her eyes to close, picturing her sister. How was she coping? She had been trying so hard to act normal when Shera left...Had it been a mistake to do so? The brunette allowed herself to sink into her bathwater up to her chin.

She acted so selfishly, she realized. She always did. Continuing to learn to fight, even though all the adults in the village looked down on the decision for the longest time...desiring to hunt as the boys did... She had done that all for herself. To make herself stand out. To exert her will on her life.

**"Shera? Dear, are you done bathing yet?"** The brunette blinked out of her thoughts as Maya's voice came from the other side of the privacy screen. Even though it was a women's bedroom and therefore off limits to men, they still had a screen to hide the bathing area.

**"Yes. I'm sorry, I was lost in thought."** Maya chuckled as she came around the screen just as Shera stepped out of the wooden tub. Her eyes centered on the brunette's lower left leg, on the scar she had received from the Caruban that had sought to end Noa's life.

**"Oh my..."** Shera sighed slightly as she looked down at her most noticeable scar.

**"There was a creature that was attacking Noa when we met her. This is a...souvenir from that fight."** Shera pulled on her underthings, even before her skin was completely dry.

**"...How badly hurt were you?"** Shera chuckled slightly at the question, rubbing the towel she had been given over her skin.

**"Badly enough that I was unable to walk without help for several days, even with Vahn using magic on my wound."** Maya's eyes showed concern, even as Shera covered up the scar that had brought along this conversation. **"It didn't get infected, and King Drake's personal physician said that it was much farther along in healing than it would have been without magic."** Shera shook her head as she said 'personal physician', as if she still couldn't believe that had happened.

Maya gently braided Shera's hair, the fighter sitting peacefully in front of her, her hands resting on her ankles even though she was sitting on a chair. Her stormy grey eyes were closed for the moment, peaceful.

**"Shera!"** The brunette frowned for a moment as a familiar redhead's voice broke her peaceful state. A slight tug on the braid made her grunt slightly, and she looked over her shoulder at her adoptive mother.

**"All done."** Shera nodded and stood, walking to where Noa was dancing anxiously by the door. The redhead grabbed Shera's arm and started to tug her towards where men and women were allowed.

**"Shera, can you go talk to him for me?"** Shera blinked at Noa's request before following the girl's pointing finger with her eyes. **"Every time I go near him, he glares at me..."** Shera sighed slightly with a smirk on her face, and shook her head at the little redhead.

**"Alright, alright. Go ahead and go find Vahn to bother him."** The redhead pouted up at Shera as she was gently pushed away, but did as she was told as Shera started to walk towards the annoyed monk. She noticed the man glaring at her as she walked towards him, but wasn't as affected by it as Noa had been.

**"Why do you travel with them?"** The brunette lifted an eyebrow at the scowling monk, and smiled slightly.

**"Because I made a promise to my sister. She cares about Vahn, so I left Rim Elm to make sure he got back to her safely."** Shera sat down against the wall and folded her legs in front of her, wondering when her feet would stop aching. **"Besides, it's not like there was a whole lot for me to do back home. I've always spent more of my time sparring with the boys than doing housework."** The deepening scowl wasn't lost on the woman, but she pretended to not notice.

**"Why go against what so many other women do?"** Shera chuckled and rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on her knee.

**"Well, I suppose to shock people."** The monk's eyes narrowed. **"Doing what's expected of me...It's boring, and if I know I can do something far easier than others, I just have this itch to do it to show them how it's done."** Shera shrugged as she spoke, as if it all made perfect sense. After all, it did, to her.

It seemed as though the monk did as well, as he stopped scowling at her. Perhaps Tetsu was right. Had she been male, she would have fit right in here in the Biron Monastery.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

And that's that! Next chapter: Gala's bias against Seru rubs Shera the wrong way! Will she convince Vahn and Noa to leave him behind? Find out next time!


	6. Forest of Despair

**Authoress' note:** Arg, I can't believe it took me this long to get back to this story! I finally found someone playing the game in a Let's Play the way I'd play it, though, thank goodness, so I no longer have to work on it while playing the game.

**Disclaimer:** The only thing I own is Shera, and her brother, who is not appearing in this chapter. Everything else belongs to whoever it is that owns Legend of Legaia anymore. It ain't me.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Chapter 5: Forest of Despair

Shera avoided looking at Maya as Vahn spoke with her, a serious look on his face. She was standing nearby as Vahn told her what had become of Juno, and couldn't bring herself to look at her adoptive mother, lest the woman hold anger in her eyes towards her.

She should be the one to tell her...She had been closer to Juno than Vahn had been, after all. But...she couldn't do it. She wanted to remember what he had been like when he was alive, laughing at her stories of what mischief she had been getting into with the boys of the village, congratulating her on getting yet another technique down pat...She didn't want to remember him as he had looked dead.

**"So Vahn, you and Shera came all the way here for Mei's sake."** Shera was still looking away, trying to keep tears from emerging from her eyes as she heard Maya's soft words.

**"Maya, don't cry! Cheer up! It's not like you to cry like that! You either, Shera!"** The brunette twitched as Noa noticed a drop of water threading its way down her cheek, and hastily rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, trying her best to banish the tears.

**"That's sweet of you to try to cheer me up. Still...It's all so frustrating that I couldn't be by Juno's side. I loved him so!"** Shera's fight against her tears grew harder as she heard the pain in her mother's voice. **"All along I thought I would see him again someday, and now it's too late. I'm so sad..."**

A hand on Shera's shoulder made her turn her head to see who it was. The monk called Master Teacher gave her an understanding look, which Shera was thankful for. This was a monastery, yes, but she could only imagine how many got frustrated with staying indoors all the time, only to be killed when they left the safety of the building. Some of them may have very well been his friends.

The monk gestured for Shera to follow him, which confused the brunette for a moment. Still, she followed him, noticing that a couple of startled looks were sent their way. It seemed that Master Teacher wasn't the most talkative person.

**"So, you're Maya's daughter? The one she didn't know she had?"** Shera blinked at the sudden question as the monk looked to her, his normal serious look back in place.

**"Yes. I'd heard stories from my father and sister of her, but I didn't...I thought she had simply been caught outside of the Wall when the Mist came one day. I never thought I would get to meet her...I just wish it weren't with such bad news."** Shera bowed her head, her grief starting to show itself again.

**"All happens according to Biron's will. Your father was a hunter, a fighter. He knew what he was getting himself into."** Shera closed her eyes, fighting the tears again.

**"Yes, he knew. He encouraged me to learn how to fight, I think because he could see that I would anyway. The greatest compliment I ever got was from him. He told me...He told me 'You'll make a great hunter one day'...I was so happy. I wanted to go and hunt alongside of him one day...but the Elder refused to allow me to hunt, and then he died..."** Shera's shoulders shook as tears leaked from her eyes. **"I was so angry...He had promised so many things to me and Mei...That when the Mist was gone, we'd travel all over the world...That he would help me find my missing brother..."**

A slight sound of surprise made Shera scrub hard at her eyes, mentally cursing herself for her show of weakness. A hand on her shoulder made her blink, though she didn't look at the one who had shown her the gesture of kindness.

**"No one can predict when a fighter is called back to Biron's side. It is the greatest hope for all monks of Biron that the call is answered while in the midst of battle."** Shera closed her eyes at that, finally calming her tears.

**"...Thank you. I believe that I'm done embarrassing myself now."** The slightest of chuckles came from the monk. Apparently he understood the concept of tears being a weakness. Perhaps he even believed in it himself, for all of his stoicness.

**"All of you! Listen!"** Shera and Master Teacher both turned to look at Master Zopu as he spoke loudly, both wondering what it was he had to say. **"They have just agreed to revive the Genesis Trees!"** Shera couldn't help but smirk at that announcement. Of course they were going to. It was one of the two reasons they had to travel.

Everyone around them was cheering, while Shera absently rubbed at her eyes again. She was hoping it wasn't obvious that she had been crying. She'd embarrassed herself enough.

**"Once revived, the Genesis Trees will rid us of the horrible Mist! This is our chance! We must all help these brave visitors. The Genesis Trees are in separate forests north of here, in West and East Voz."** Shera noticed that the longer Zopu spoke, the quieter the cheers got. The old man turned to look at Vahn, who was standing off to the side of the stage. **"Vahn, tell me, which forest will you go to first?"** As Shera watched, her rival made his decision.

**"West Voz is closer to the source of the Mist. If it is possible for a Genesis Tree to weaken, that would be the first one to."** Shera nodded, agreeing with his decision.

**"Yes, that is a wise decision."** Zopu then turned to look over the mass of people. **"Master Teacher! Master Teacher, are you there?"** Shera noticed the monk beside her wincing slightly before he took a few steps forwards.

**" Yes sir!"** The old man smiled slightly at the monk's immediate reply.

**"Master Teacher, you will accompany these three to West Voz Forest!"** Shera blinked at that announcement. The monk seemed to be a bit startled at the order, as well.

**"B-but..."** Shera knew what the problem was. He was fine with her, though she was female, because she didn't wear a Seru. That was why he glared at Noa each time she tried to talk to him. Zopu scowled at the young monk that tried to search for an excuse to get out of this duty.

**"Master Teacher! An elder's order is the same as a command from Biron!"** That statement made the monk bow his head, silently acquiescing to the demand. Movement just beyond the pillar that Shera stood by made the woman turn her head, and she saw the redhead that had been standing behind Master Zopu when he spoke to them.

**"Master Zopu! Have you forgotten me?"** Judging by the murmurs that came from the other people, this man didn't often volunteer for anything. Or he made trouble whenever he did. Either way, Shera didn't have a very good feeling about him.

**"What is it, Songi?"** Even Master Zopu seemed slightly unnerved by the man's sudden call of attention to himself.

**"If Master Teacher is going to West Voz Forest, then I will go to East Voz Forest!"** The monk that had been speaking to Shera shifted uncomfortably. **"I will go there to make sure that the Genesis Tree is safe."**

This announcement made the people about Shera mutter with relief, but Shera merely narrowed her eyes. There was something about this man that made that statement suspicious. And yet, she couldn't put her finger on it. Master Zopu seemed pleased, though.

**"Songi, it is so unusual for you to volunteer like this! But that is good! I will give you monks to command. I am counting on you, Songi!"** Shera shifted slightly, still uncomfortable. Master Zopu turned to address the crowd, though, so she directed her attention back to him. **"Now, then. Night has fallen. Let the party end."** Disappointed mutterings came from people around her, but Shera simply moved past the monk called Master Teacher, their eyes meeting for a moment.

He knew as well, that his friend Songi wasn't going to East Voz out of the kindness of his heart. She could see it in his eyes, along with deftly hidden emotional pain.

Noa noticed Shera approaching first, and frowned, seeing the faint markings of tears. She didn't mention it, though, remembering the reaction to it earlier. One of the women led Shera and Noa to the women's quarters Vahn was led elsewhere, and everyone quietly got ready for bed.

Shera spent a while awake, though, staring up through the darkness at the ceiling. What was she going to do, once their journey ended? She didn't know if there were any Genesis Trees beyond the Drake Kingdom... But if there were, she would have to travel even farther from her sister and Maya. There would be a huge chance that she wouldn't ever see them again.

...Could she really handle that? She honestly didn't know.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Noa woke Shera early the next morning. The brunette woke silently, as she had started to get used to waking so early. It took her a couple of moments before she recognized where she was, though, and she quietly stood and dressed in her now cleaned traveling clothes. It felt rather odd to leave the rest of her clothes behind, though. It seemed she was getting more used to traveling than she had known.

Soon enough, they were all gathered up in front of the statue of Biron, and Zopu was praying for their safety.** "May Biron Bless Songi on his journey to East Voz Forest!"** The redhaired monk bowed to Master Zopu as the blessed water was flicked over him and the monks he was to command.

**"Thank you! Leave everything to me!"** Shera couldn't help but feel that same flare of distrust as the monks left. Master Zopu watched them leave, and the brunette woman wondered what he was thinking.

**"May Biron also bless Master Teacher and our three visitors on their journey to West Voz!"** Shera barely flinched as the blessed water was flicked over her. They started towards the western staircase, and paused as Zopu started to speak again. **"Vahn, Noa, Shera. Good luck to you all!"** Shera and Vahn bowed respectfully before continuing on.

Partway up the stairs, Noa piped up, her green eyes on the monk with them. **"Hey, Master Teacher, can I ask you something?"** The monk paused to look back at her.

**"What?"** Noa bounced up another step, her eyes still as wide and confused as ever.

**"'Master Teacher' is a weird name."** Shera allowed her hand to meet her forehead, trying hard not to laugh. She had thought it was obvious. Vahn glanced at her, also doing his best to keep from showing his amusement. The monk simply shook his head.

**"It's not a name, it's a title!"** Shera lost the battle with her laughter, and avoided looking at the others as they noticed her snicker.

**"So 'Master Teacher' isn't your name? When what is your name?"** Shera rubbed her nose to hide her smile. She was wondering, too, but Noa was just acting too much like a little kid.

**"Since you are not Biron monks and need not call me Master Teacher, I will tell you."** Shera noticed that the monk looked directly at her for a moment. **"My name is Gala."** Shera blinked at the simple name. She wasn't the only one to have that reaction.

**"Gala...That's an interesting name."** Gala immediately frowned at the hyperactive redhead, glaring.

**"Well don't get too friendly. I hate Seru!"** Noa pouted, looking remarkably like a kicked dog, and looked to Shera, who merely shrugged. The rest of the trip to the door to West Voz was silent, until Shera saw Maya waiting for them. Vahn saw her as well, and all that the brunette had time for was a small wave and a weak smile.

They passed through another gate lined with fans, and this time the fans were already blowing. Vahn stopped the fans, and led the way through the tunnel to the plains that lay beyond. Shera couldn't help but sigh happily at the fresh air, lifting her face to the sky with a smile.

**"This is what it's like outside of the monastery?"** Shera couldn't help but smile at Gala's soft amazement. She took her tonfas off of her belt and started forwards, the familiar thrumming sound starting. **"...Must you do that?"** Shera glanced over her shoulder with a small grin. Vahn simply shook his head at the monk.

**"If she didn't, I would be worried. It's one way for us to tell where she is, and if she's spotted anything dangerous."** Gala looked from Vahn to Shera, who was already scanning the plains to see what was about.

**"...I see. Well, we should make it to the forest by nightfall, barring incident."** Shera nodded, still looking away from the others, to show that she had heard. They set off, then, disappearing into the Mist.

Shera acted as point until midday, when Noa volunteered to do so. It seemed that Gala's constant glaring had unnerved her. Several large birds had attacked them, but had been killed by Vahn before anyone else could do much. The blue-haired man seemed to be working off some form of frustration, so they all allowed him to.

Finally, as the sun began to set over the mountains, they arrived at the West Voz Forest. Shera looked up to the forest above, relaxing slightly at the closer atmosphere.

Noa yawned slightly from in front of them, and turned to look at them. Shera tucked away one of her tonfas and gestured for the redhead to come over to her, which the girl did, rubbing sleepily at her eyes with her right hand.

**"This should do as a camping ground for tonight."** They all looked to Vahn, who was the one leading them all, as he looked around them. Shera did the same, checking to see how many rocks were in the area, and how easily defendable it would be.

**"No, it's too open, Vahn."** Everyone looked to Shera, expecting her to point out another area. **"Closer to those boulders over there should do, if they're planted firmly enough."** Shera pointed a short distance away, where an outcropping of rock made a sort of wall.

They set up camp where Shera had suggested, and the brunette woman took the first watch, her tonfas thrumming softly as she quietly patrolled. Noa was asleep first, lulled there by the constant, familiar sound. The night passed without incident.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Camp was broken shortly before dawn, and the four started their search as the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon. Shera was walking in the back, still spinning her tonfas, when she suddenly stopped, and looked around, her tonfas suddenly quiet.

Vahn noticed the lack of sound first, and stopped to look back at her, noticing her wariness. It was then that he noticed there was still a thrumming noise. A soft whistle made the other two look to him, and they noticed the same thing quickly.

**"Wh-what?"** Shera flipped her tonfas once, setting the long parts of the weapons against her forearms. She kept looking around, seeming to be much more serious than Gala had ever seen her before.

**"Sounds like a flyer."** Shera nodded to Noa's statement, still scanning.

**"Doesn't sound like ones we've encountered before, though."** Vahn turned his eyes upwards, and then quickly ran over to where Shera was, pushing her out of the way as a purple blur appear and tried to attack her.

**"Seru."** Gala tensed up a little at the confirmation of what the creature was. Shera rolled to her feet, her tonfa at the ready.

**"Thanks for the warning, Vahn."** There was no venom in Shera's words. She was genuinely thanking him for shoving her. Her rival nodded, and Noa lunged towards the Seru, kicking the hard purple shell that protected its sensitive center.

**"Can't have you not fulfilling that promise to your sister."** Shera grinned at the reminder, lunging towards the Seru as well, spinning her tonfas at the last moment to add even more momentum to them to cause more damage.

Sharp cracking sounds announced just how much damage Shera had managed to do, as the Seru shrieked in pain just moments before it shattered. They all flinched slightly at that, but no one complained about it.

**"Getting stronger, Shera!"** The brunette flashed the redhead a small smile as they continued on, already spinning her tonfas again.

After several hours, marked by several battles against frogs, the strange vegetable-like creatures that the trio of adventurers had encountered on the other side of the monastery, and Seru, Shera paused the group from her position on point. She crouched down and prodded something with her tonfas, and then reached out to lift the top of the box she had noticed.

The box itself was almost an exact replica of the one she had found on Mt. Rikuroa. Gala, seeing what it was, stepped forwards and peered into the box next to her.

**"Ah, the box of offerings. Before the Mist, people would pass through the monastery to visit the two Genesis Trees. Some of them would leave items in hopes that their prayers would be answered."** Shera pulled out a strange golden pendant on a similarly golden chain, lifting an eyebrow at its shape.

**"Well, they won't do anyone any use sitting in a rotting box."** Noa gently took the amulet from Shera, who dipped her hand back into the box, pulling out a single tonfa. It looked much older than Shera's pair, and Noa squealed a little, looking at it. The amulet was already around her neck. **"Ooh, can I have it?"**

The brunette looked from the weapon to the redhead and back before handing the slightly battered weapon to her, reaching into the box to draw out several bottles. Gala took one of the small vials from her and looked at the fading script.

**"It's a cure-all medicine. Someone from the northern regions must have left it. The herbs that make these don't grow in the Drake Kingdom."** Shera blinked at that. She held up a second vial, and Gala took it to put it into the pouch at his back.

**"Hey, a Door of Light."** Vahn reached into the box and pulled out the small talisman. She recognized it as being an exact match for the slip of paper she had found outside of Drake Castle. The brunette pulled it out and handed it to Vahn, silently showing that he could hold onto them.

**"A small bag of...dirt? Oh, it stinks."** Shera tilted her head away from the small, repulsive bag, wrinkling her nose. Gala hesitantly sniffed as well, doing his best not to retch.

**"I believe...that it's called fertilizer. Rich soil for use in growing plants."** Shera shrugged, carefully tying shut the small bag and attaching it to the back of her belt. **"Why...?"** Shera gave him a small smile. It seemed as though no one had noticed the blue stone she'd palmed, after all.

**"I figure that we might find some use for it eventually. If just to send it back to Rim Elm so that someone can start a garden. The soil there is rather sandy."** Gala shrugged, rolling his eyes. The last object in the box, a light purple potion, was tucked inside Shera's pack, and the box was closed.

**"Shall we continue on, now that you've fully ransacked the offerings to the spirits of the trees?"** Shera gave Gala a slightly exasperated look.

**"The 'spirit of the Genesis Tree' is, in truth, a Ra-Seru, monk."** The man glared at her, and she simply stared back at him, unimpressed. **"Whatever problem you have with normal Seru, you'd best get used to the concept of there being Seru that don't abide by the norm."** Gala's glare increased. Vahn sent a concerned look her way, but she didn't acknowledge it.

**"And you know this how? You travel on your own strength! You already hold more respect than either of those two!"** Gala gestured towards Vahn and Noa, not even respecting them enough to mention their names.

**"Rim Elm was attacked by a man wearing a Seru. He still had control of his mind."** That gave Gala pause. **"I don't know about you, but I have never heard of a Seru that was able to control a human and yet speak. It was unlike either of the Ra-Seru. Meta and Terra speak to each other and to Vahn and Noa. I have never heard them myself."** Gala frowned. He didn't seem convinced.

**"So how do you know they are not leading you to your death?"** Shera glared daggers at the monk, who immediately took a step back. That was so often the first reaction a person had to one of her full-force glares.

**"Because I know Vahn. He has not acted any differently than he has before Meta attached to his arm. Let me tell you, monk. Vahn was the first person I accepted that was outside of my family. I would **_**know**_** if he weren't himself. And besides that, I can **_**feel**_** the Seru! That is how I managed to get through Drake Castle without Vahn being overworked looking out for me!"** Gala seemed to be swallowing his words now. Noa was staring at Shera in awe of her temper. **"So don't go about acting like you're better than them! They have done what you cannot do already! I trust them at my back far more than I trust you!"**

The brunette, her rage still seething, turned on her heel and stormed away into the forest, her tonfa spinning once more. The snapping of branches and the brush underneath her feet marked where she was going, and Vahn shook his head, a slightly amused look on her face.

**"I believe the last time I saw her so angry was when the elder forbade her from going out to hunt."** The monk sent the blue-haired man an unamused look. **"Noa, why don't you go and make sure nothing sneaks up on her while she's so angry?"** The redhead bobbed her head in a nod, and darted after the other woman.

The monk stared at the warrior from Rim Elm for a moment, merely blinking as he noticed the slight smile the other man was sending towards him. The monk huffed and followed after the two women, not seeing the roll of Vahn's eyes as the blue-haired man followed him.

When the two men found the girls, they were working together to take down a Vera. Noa jumped over Shera as the woman rolled to the side to avoid getting bitten by the Vera, and the redhead was then launched into the air by the brunette shoving the bottom of her feet with one of her tonfa. The Vera fell quickly, not expecting to be hit from above.

Instead of shattering like the previous Seru, it grew transparent as Noa's left hand touched it, and turned into light that was absorbed by the Ra-Seru. Shera smiled at the happy young redhead, seeming to have cooled down.

At least, that's what Gala thought until the woman spotted him and sent him a freezing glare.

Vahn sighed slightly beside the monk and shook his head before smiling at Noa. Shera huffed at the monk, and turned to push on, no longer crashing through the underbrush as she previously had.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera paused as she heard running water, her tonfas stopping for a moment. She heard the others behind her stopping as well, concerned that she had heard another Seru. Several like the one that had encountered them first in the forest had tried to do so, and both Vahn and Noa had acquired their powers.

**"...Shera?"** The brunette glanced back towards Noa, the fact that she did so telling them that it wasn't an enemy that she heard, but something else.

**"Monk, there is a river running through this forest, correct?"** Gala, disgruntled slightly by the fact the woman didn't refer to him by name, nodded and grunted his answer. **"I believe we are near."** Her left hand tonfa pointed in the direction of the sound of running water. Noa, being as excitable as always, charged off first, making a surprisingly small amount of noise.

The others sighed or shook their heads, and followed her. They found her standing on the bank of a small ravine, looking at what appeared to be a small tree.

**"What a weird plant. Vahn, is it edible?"** The two from Rim Elm exchanged clueless looks, and Gala growled slightly under his breath.

**"You don't know anything, do you."** Shera glared at the monk. Noa could be meek enough at times, she didn't need him to look down at her. **"That's called Bridge Grass. It's tiny now, but it'll be big enough to span a gorge and strong enough to walk on. And no, it's not edible."**

**"And I don't suppose it grows only here in the West Voz Forest?"** There was a dangerous tone to her voice, which made the monk pause and glare back at her. **"Noa was raised by a wolf in a cave, monk. Of course she doesn't know as much about the outside world as you, who has had access to a library all his life."**

Vahn glanced towards the sky as if asking for patience as Shera snapped at the monk. He wasn't sure if this was her reacting to stress or what, but it was starting to bother him. Noa seemed to be getting tired of this as well, if her plaintive look towards Vahn was any indication.

**"Oh. So, we can't eat it. Oh, hey, I know!"** Shera and Gala both looked to Noa, the girl's words drawing them out of their argument. **"Vahn, Shera, we got the fertilizer from the treasure chest, right?"** Shera sighed slightly, seeing where the girl was going with this.

**"It won't work that fast, Noa. Plants take time to grow. A **_**lot**_** of time."** The brunette's hand reached up to brush a little bit of sweat from her forehead. It wasn't as cold as she had thought it would be...or perhaps she was just moving about so much that she wasn't as able to cool down.

A hand snatching the pouch of fertilizer from the back of her belt made Shera yelp, though, and she scowled at Noa as the girl dumped the black dirt around the base of the Bridge Grass. Vahn smacked his hand against his face, mirroring what Shera felt. Gala, of course, was scowling at her for her impulsive behavior. The redhead was merely staring expectantly at the grass.

**"Noa, didn't you hear what I said? That isn't going to work fast enough for us to use. Now come on, let's go find a place where we can cross."** Shera turned and started to walk, as did Vahn and Gala. None of them saw Noa pull a small vial from her pouch and pour it onto the fertilizer.

A strange sound made the three walking along the bank of the river turn, and Shera gaped. The Bridge Grass was already taller than Gala, when before it had barely reached his knee. As they watched, the grass grew to full size, and Noa jumped up onto it to trot to the middle of it and jump up and down.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera sighed slightly as she looked up towards the canopy, sitting cross-legged by the fire. Gala was a little distance off from Shera and the others, looking over the small knife that had been handed down to him. Shera knew that it must be showing its use by now. The Nightos, the Seru that had tried to kill her when she walked into West Voz, had an extremely hard shell.

There was the shrine to Rem nearby, glowing softly in the darkness. Noa was already asleep, sprawled out on her back as Vahn patrolled around their little campsite. An old song started to run through her head, and she started to hum it.

A male song joined in, and Shera turned her head, lifting an eyebrow. She didn't stop singing, though. She smirked as she saw it was Gala who was singing along with her, though it seemed he wasn't aware of it, carefully carving away bits of wood from the small block he held in his large hands.

Their voices melded together in the night, and Shera couldn't help but smile at how Gala, for all of his distrust and annoying ways, had such a deep, rich singing voice. She couldn't remember the words, if there were words to the song, though Gala seemed to be singing words.

After a while, their voices faded, and Shera closed her eyes, a strangely content feeling having spread through her. Even though they were in the middle of a forest filled with things that wanted to kill her, she felt safe. She hadn't felt this way since she was last with Deven.

**"How do you know that song?"** Shera opened her eyes and looked towards Gala, who was staring at her. She frowned a little and tried to remember where she had heard it.

**"I don't exactly remember where I heard it. But...I like it. It's soothing."** Gala nodded, showing that he thought so as well. The monk turned his little carving around in his hands, and applied the knife again, another curl of wood joining the many that were at his feet.

**"My mother used to sing it...before she was killed by the Seru."** Shera lay back, closing her eyes. She knew better than to pry. That Gala trusted her enough to mention his parents to her spoke quite a bit. **"If I remember right...It's a prayer to Tieg to keep travelers safe."** Shera chuckled. How fitting...Tieg, the creator, was one of the gods that Shera actually believed in. That he was also the protector of travelers was interesting.

**"Do you know the words?"** Shera opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Gala, who blinked at her.

_**"Quickly,  
****Draw near to me, now.  
****I will embrace you,  
****And keep you from harm.**_

_**Softly,  
****Call upon me.  
****I will protect you,  
****And guide you along."**_

Shera merely listened to Gala singing, in awe of the power in his words. Her eyes drifted closed, and she started to doze, feeling the peace that she had always found in the song grow. Perhaps there really was something to Tieg, unlike the rest of the gods.

As Shera lay there, Gala trailed off, likely thinking that she had fallen asleep. For all her peace, though, her sense of preservation kept her awake. It wasn't that she didn't trust Vahn to keep the creatures of the forest away, but she could still sense them, lurking outside of Vahn's circle. Likely, she wouldn't be able to sleep soundly until they got back to the monastery. Either way, she was going to need to rest for the day ahead.

It took her a while to fall asleep, her mind suddenly on her missing brother. Where was he? Was he even still alive? Was he controlled by a Seru? Where had he landed? Who had he met? What cities had he visited? How had he changed? Would she even find him again? What would he think of Vahn and Noa? Had he learned how to fight? Was he safe? Would he move to Rim Elm if she asked?

Did he even remember Shera?

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Okay, I tweaked a few things from the game. First off, the song that Gala and Shera were singing takes the music from the opening sequence. I think I might make a few more verses to it, but that's all that I have so far. Also, which should have been noticed, all the treasures found on the way to the Genesis Tree are gathered into one chest that they find. Noa's idea to put the fertilizer on the bridge grass always seemed a little silly to me, so I made it so that the characters also saw it that way. Then the fact that the mushrooms in the cave were absurdly huge made whatever was in that little vial that Noa poured on the grass.


	7. Fading Hope

**Authoress's Note:** Okay, so I was really not expecting to get the next chapter out so quickly. Towards the end of this one was where I had lost my muse for a long while.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia. That honor goes to whoever bought out Contrail.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Chapter 6: Fading Hope

Shera opened her eyes in the morning, aware that it was far too silent. She sat up, and blinked at the fact that her cape had been draped over her as a blanket sometime after she had fallen asleep. Noa was still sprawled out nearby, and Vahn was asleep as well, which could only mean that Gala was on guard duty.

The brunette stretched and stood, pulling her dark brown cape on and buttoning it. It was chillier than she had expected, after all. She stretched, clearing her mind so that she was better able to sense what was around her. Something occurred to her, and she paused mid-stretch.

There was no otherworldly presence of a Genesis Tree on the fringes of her mind.

When she was in Rim Elm, and even while climbing Mt Rikuroa, she was always aware of the holy tree. But here, she was completely unable to sense it. It was as if it didn't exist.

**"Ah, so you're the first one up."** Shera glanced over her shoulder, where Gala's voice had come from. She finished up the stretch she had been in the middle of, and started another. **"It's still before dawn."** Shera closed her eyes for a moment. She could tell it was before dawn; the forest was still dark.

**"I've had the dawn shift since Vahn and I started to travel until Noa joined us. I'm used to waking up early."** Shera finished with her stretches and looked around, her hands resting on the tonfas she shoved back into her belt without pulling them off. **"It seems...too quiet."** Gala gave her an odd look, and sat down.

**"So what if it's too early for the monsters to be about?"** Shera shook her head. It wasn't that it was too early. She'd woken Noa and Vahn up once because she was in the middle of a battle.

**"No, there are always monsters around. I can feel them, even now. They aren't lurking as near as they were before I fell asleep, but they're still watching us."** Shera paced around the edge of the camp, showing that she was taking over guard duty for now.

**"It isn't any quieter now than it was then."** Shera frowned as she paused. What was it that was unnerving her, then? Was it the lack of the tree's presence? Surely Meta or Terra would have noticed if the tree were dead by now. **"You can sense living things, right?"** Shera glanced towards the monk, wondering what he was getting at.

**"It's how I've managed to survive thus far. Seru and monsters both exude a certain amount of malice that I can pick up on. Humans, despite their complex ways, subconsciously welcome the energies of others. It's why we are social."** Shera tilted her head to the side, allowing it to crack audibly.

**"Then you are able to keep watch better than either Vahn or Noa."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at him, wondering where he was going with this. **"Maybe you aren't aware of this, but you react to the presence of monsters before I am even aware that they are there. It may simply be because I have never traveled, but outside of the monastery, that sense of mine feels...muted."**

**"It's the Mist."** Shera decided that the monsters were warned enough, and sat down, picking up a stick and prodding the banked fire back into life. **"There's something about it that mimics the feeling of a monster or Seru. The Mist itself feels malevolent at times. It takes some getting used to, to tell the difference between the atmosphere and the creatures around you."** Gala frowned at this. Shera could guess why.

He was a monk of Biron, one of the protectors of knowledge. And here he was, learning from a girl, a woman who, according to what he was taught, knew nothing of Biron's path and came from a small village isolated from the rest of the country.

**"That's all that I can tell from experience, though. What the Mist is, exactly, where it comes from...I'm as clueless as you when it comes to that knowledge. I would like to know, yes, as it would help with our journey. But...The more we know, the more we know how little that knowledge is."** Gala stared at Shera.

**"Worded a bit differently, but Master Zopu has often said the same."** Shera couldn't help but smirk at that as Vahn started to stir.

Soon, they were eating the trail rations they had been given by those at Biron Monastery and drinking a makeshift tea while sitting around the tiny fire. Once they were done, dirt was kicked over the flames, effectively extinguishing them.

Vahn walked at the head of the group today, while Shera trailed along at the back, more on edge than she had been the previous day. Noa was staying more towards her than towards Gala, which was pretty understandable, as the monk was still glaring at them all.

**"Found it!"** Shera turned to look at Vahn, who was pointing towards what Shera could only assume was the Genesis Tree. She still couldn't sense it, though. Was something wrong with it?

**"This? This is a Genesis Tree?"** Gala didn't seem to be impressed, which only made Shera more concerned as she walked closer. **"This dead, rotting tree doesn't look like it has the power to drive away the Mist."** Shera paused, her eyes wide. Dead and rotting?

**"No...No, it's not supposed to be dead!"** Shera trotted to catch up as Vahn started to freak out, and stopped as she saw the Genesis Tree, sorrow dimming her eyes slightly.

The tree was slightly transparent, and Shera could see Noa's bright red hair clearly on the other side. The brunette carefully walked up to the tree and lifted a hand as if to touch it.

**"No wonder I couldn't sense it...Vahn, I think that the Mist that is being pushed away from Mt. Rikuroa is funneled here, instead. This tree was getting more of the Mist's influence than it could handle."** The other three looked to Shera, a little startled at her calm evaluation of the situation.

**"I thought you could give life to the Genesis Trees!"** Shera glanced at Gala, who was looking rather disconcerted. Vahn simply, sighed, looking at Meta.

**"There's only so much that Meta and Terra can do. This tree is too far gone for us to help it."** Shera let her hand drop, looking sadly at the tree that could have allowed the Biron monks to experience the world outside of their monastery.

**"In other words, we came all the way out here for naught! There's nothing we can do now."** Gala turned away from the tree, frowning. **"Let's stop wasting time and get back to Biron Monastery."** An orb of something flashed within the trunk, and Shera gasped, her eyes widening.

**"Ah! Vahn!"** The others turned back to look at Shera, who had gently pressed her hand against the trunk, not seeming to notice that it was both too warm and too soft to be a tree. **"I just saw something inside the tree!"**

Vahn and Noa both looked to their Ra-Seru as the two creatures glowed. Their eyes widened, and the two held out their partners towards the tree.

**"What are they doing?"** Shera glanced to Gala, who was looking distrustfully at the non-brunettes. She shrugged, her eyes just as confused as Gala's.

The two brunettes stepped back warily as the tree started to melt, the glowing shape in the center of what used to be its trunk moving towards the other two.

The glow coming from Terra stopped first, and the redhead fell to a knee, panting slightly. Shera immediately moved to her side, worried, only to have that worry proven false as the girl gave her a small smile.

**"I'm fine, Shera. That just took more energy than I thought."** Shera glanced to Vahn, who was carefully taking the object from the tree.

**"Shera."** The brunette blinked at him as he offered her the object. **"It's a Ra-Seru Egg."** Her eyes widened slightly. She hadn't known they were eggs first... **"Here. You hold on to it for now."** Shera looked at Vahn for a moment, and then carefully took the fist-sized metallic crystal from him.

**"It's...warm."** Her voice held surprise as she looked down at the soft blue glow. A sudden sound made her instinctively hold it to her chest, eyes snapping towards the source of the sound.

**"That sound and light came from the direction of Biron Monastery!"** Light? Shera had only noticed the sound. Then again, she had been looking at the Ra-Seru Egg. **"Vahn, the Monastery may be in trouble. We must hurry back there!"** Shera pulled out one of the handkerchiefs that she didn't go anywhere without, and wrapped the egg before tucking it into her belt pouch.

**"What about the Door of Light?"** Vahn glanced to Shera, and nodded before pulling out the charm. They all touched him as the blue-haired man closed his eyes.

**"Biron Monastery."** Light enveloped them, and when it faded, they were standing before the gate into the building. Shera coughed slightly, covering her nose at the smoke that was billowing out of the door.

**"Vahn...I can feel the Seru! The Mist is inside the Monastery!"** Shera's eyes were wide with worry as she looked to the blue-haired man. His showed understanding, and the brunette woman rushed into the building ahead of them, hoping to find Maya still alive.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera's worry grew as she passed many dead monks. If they were unable to stand up to the Seru, then how could her mother? She hoped the door to the women's bedroom was sturdy. If it was...then they would be safe.

Shera's hopes plummeted as she saw the door in question wide open at the end of the hallway. Her feet stopped for a moment, tears coming to her eyes. She forced herself to continue forwards, walking to the door and peering around it, dreading what she might find.

There were no bodies. There was no scent of blood. However, there was a green-haired woman possessed by a strange Seru. Shera again had to force herself to move forwards, not noticing that she had since stopped paying attention to her surroundings.

**"Maya...Mother!"** Tears were starting to trickle down Shera's cheeks as she approached the possessed woman, only to stop as the creature moved away from her. The brunette slumped to her knees as a puppet with its strings cut, covering her face to try and stop her tears.

A sob ripped itself from her throat, though, and once one had paved the way, more came. First her true parents, and Deven...Then Juno...And now Maya had been torn from her as well! What had she done to be punished in this way?

**"Shera!"** The brunette lifted her head a bit as she heard her name called, letting her hands drop into her lap before bowing her head, tears still pouring down her cheeks. **"Shera, what's-!"** She didn't have to look up to know that Vahn had spotted Maya.

Warm arms circled around Shera, and a blur of red entered her vision, though not near her. It was then that she noticed that she was shaking, and that her vision was blurred from the tears. Her blood was pounding in her ears now, as she realized that it was Vahn who was embracing her, blocking out Noa's words.

A rumbling in the warmth at her back showed that Vahn was speaking, and Shera was gently lifted up, her rival supporting her as he saw that she didn't have the will to stand or walk on her own. A greater wave of warmth accompanied a red glow from her right, where Meta was, and she felt herself slipping into sleep, somehow exhausted by the day already.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Vahn looked down at Shera as she hung limply in his arms. He hadn't ever seen her like this. Angry, yes; that had been her primary emotion when she was younger. But never as she was now. Never defeated. He'd always seen her as being far too strong to be beaten down like this.

But, the voice in the back of his head whispered, might that not be a mask of sorts? To give a brave face to the world to hide her hurt...He could understand that. And she was certainly hurt enough.

The man she had loved as a father had been killed earlier in the week. She had left behind the only other family member she'd had, just to travel with him...and she had bonded so quickly with Maya. Every person had their breaking point, and it seemed that Shera's had been met.

Something on the floor nearby caught Vahn's attention, and he carefully knelt down and picked up the piece of paper, looking at it for a moment before realizing what it was.

**"Noa. Let's go back to the kitchen. Shera needs to rest, and, as far as we know, it's the safest place right now."** The redhead looked from Vahn to Maya and back again, a pained look on her face. **"Maya will return to normal once we get rid of the Mist. Right now, though, Shera needs to rest, and she's in more danger than Maya is."** Noa bowed her head, and followed Vahn out of the room.

The redhead knocked on the door to the kitchen for Vahn, who had adjusted Shera in his arms so that she was easier to carry. The brunette's head was laying against his shoulder, and he was cradling her in his arms, instead of having her feet drag on the ground. Shera wasn't really as heavy as he had thought she would be, though perhaps it was Meta increasing his strength.

**"Vahn, Noa...? Ah! Miss Shera, as well! Hurry and come in, please!"** The three of them entered the room, and Vahn turned his head as the monk guarding the door swiftly shut it. Master Zopu rushed towards them from where he had been sitting by the Rem shrine.

**"What has happened to her?"** A spot where Shera could be laid down was found, and Vahn gratefully set his burden down. The brunette still had a few tears leaking from her eyes, but they weren't pouring out like they had been earlier.

**"We found her in the women's bedroom. Maya is...A Seru has possessed her."** Master Zopu had an understanding look in his eyes as he looked down at the brunette.

**"Maya was so happy when she discovered that she had another daughter. And it seems that young Shera has become as attached to Maya as she has to her."** Noa sat next to Shera, leaning against the brunette to try to calm her a little bit.

**"As soon as we came back, Shera took off by herself. She's always putting so much of her effort into keeping others safe. That was part of why she learned to fight in the first place."** Vahn looked down at Shera for a moment, and then tucked the piece of paper that he held under one of her hands.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera grumbled slightly as she woke up, hearing people chattering quietly all around her. There was a weight on her right arm, which bothered her a little bit. Her eyelids felt really heavy, and her muscles were all aching.

**"So the Genesis Tree of West Voz Forest is dead...This is very unfortunate. Will you still continue on to East Voz?"** That was Master Zopu. And since he was speaking of the forests, and the Genesis Trees, he was speaking to Vahn...Which meant that someone had found her and moved her from the room with Maya in it.

**"Yes. With the power of the Genesis Tree there, we'll be able to banish the Mist from the monastery."** Shera managed to pry her eyes open, and saw the area just adjacent to the kitchen. So this was where the survivors were gathering.

**"Good, good...Ah, it seems as though Miss Shera has awoken."** Shera blinked up at the people standing a few feet away, and then numbly turned her head to see what was pinning her arm down. Noa had fallen asleep on her shoulder, breathing evenly and deeply.

**"Shera...You alright?"** The brunette lifted her left hand and rubbed at her eyes, getting rid of the grainy texture in the corners. She blinked at the paper that had been tucked under her hand, and picked it up, unfolding it with one hand in a gesture she had forgotten where she had learned.

_'To my daughter, Mei:_

_Today, Vahn came to Biron and told me about Juno. I was so shocked and I shed many tears. Shera seemed to be feeling guilty for not telling me herself, but the dear is as honest in her eyes as you are. _

_I was told of how she came to live in Rim Elm, and I can't help but feel protective of her. I can't even guess what emotions have been running through her since Juno's death. And with her having left you behind in Rim Elm..._

_When I think of how lonely you must be, my heart breaks with grief. When you were still young, I left you and came to Biron. I left because of the Mist. Please forgive me for leaving you in Rim Elm. _

_Vahn says that I can return with him and Shera, but there is something that keeps me here at the Biron Monastery a little longer. Please forgive me._

_There are two orphans here, Songi and Gala. They are about your age, and they are like sons to me. My obligations here compel me to stay. _

_You must think that I don't care for you, but that is not true. I know that the people of the village are supporting you and Shera. Please forgive"_

Shera folded the half-finished letter up again and tucked it into her belt pouch, still feeling rather numb. She was going to have to give the letter back to Maya, once she had her mind back.

**"Sher?"** The brunette looked up at Vahn, and gave him a small, weak smile. Neither the monk nor Shera's rival seemed to be convinced that she was alright, despite the smile.

**"Things are just catching up to me, that's all."** The brunette gently moved Noa so that the redhead wasn't leaning on her shoulder, and stood up, stretching her body out slowly.

**"...You wanna stay behind while Noa and I go to East Voz?"** The glare that Shera pinned Vahn with spoke of her answer to that, even as her stance became balanced, reminding all that saw her that she was a warrior.

**"I am going with, if only to make sure that the tree truly is revived. Besides..."** Shera reached into her belt pouch and retrieved the Ra-Seru egg, which shone as she revealed it. **"This needs the power of the Genesis Tree to hatch."** Master Zopu leaned forwards to peer at the object that Shera held.

**"Hm...This is most certainly of a holy nature. What is it?"** Shera closed her hand around the egg once more, and smiled slightly.

**"This is a Ra-Seru egg. The Genesis in West Voz Forest was dead, but this remained."** The egg was placed back into Shera's belt pouch, and the woman closed her eyes, her body tensing for a moment before relaxing.

The gesture was familiar to Vahn and Noa, who had just woken, as it was something she did to calm herself down. Whenever the topic of Rim Elm came up, once the subject was dropped, she tensed and relaxed like she just had. It was a way for her to keep herself from lashing out at everyone around her.

"**I see...I suppose you ought to go, then."** Shera turned her eyes to Master Zopu, her eyes calm now. She bowed to him before turning to Vahn, accepting her tonfas back from him. Vahn smiled as he saw that his childhood friend was back to normal. Mostly.

There was a slight shadow in Shera's eyes, but she had her chin held high, pride in her stance. Vahn could see that after her momentary lapse in will, she had regained her 'never-say-die' temperament. She still looked worn down, but ready to keep going.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera stayed on edge the entire time she, Noa, and Vahn moved through the monastery, the halls echoing with the thrumming of her tonfas. Noa walked ahead of Shera, and Vahn behind, each keeping an eye out for their vulnerable friend. Shera investigated the broken fans in the boundary room, running her toughened fingers over the warped metal, her eyes dull as she thought about the force required to do that. Vahn looked down the tunnel to the outside, and turned sharply as Shera turned her head to look behind her. Noa was already in the tunnel, trotting down a ways to make sure that there were no Seru waiting to ambush them.

"**Wait a moment, the three of you."** Shera stood and looked behind her, blinking at Gala. She hadn't been aware that he'd even left the assumed that he'd done so after she had, and she looked away from him, still feeling that her eyes were a bit puffy from crying. **"I checked the entire monastery. Everyone's either dead or changed into Seru."** Shera closed her eyes at that, her heart feeling weighed by that news. Death weighed heavily on her, now more than ever. She took a deep breath, though, and roughly shoved that depression to the side, and opened her eyes again, keeping her head high. Vahn, on the other hand, bowed his head, looking as though he had news that Gala didn't.

"**I spoke to some of the monks before they passed. One of them said that Songi led the Seru out of the Mist."** Shera's eyes widened at that, feeling her stomach drop. Her feeling of forboding had come true after all. The look on Gala's face was even more shocked, with more of a sense of betrayal.

"**It can't be true...Songi did all this?"** A look of anger started to creep into Gala's face, and Shera's knuckles grew white because of how hard she was gripping her tonfas. She was distantly surprised that the wooden floor wasn't smouldering, she was glaring downwards so hard.** "How could he have done this! What was he thinking? I have to talk to Songi! I have to find out why he did this!"** Shera calmed herself before looking up at Gala's abrupt rush of emotions, and saw him close his eyes to take a deep breath, calming himself.

Shera saw that Vahn had a slightly pitying look on his face. Both he and Shera knew what it was like to find that the places where they were most comfortable were now dens of death. They had survived through Rim Elm being attacked, and knew the despair that Gala must have been feeling. The monk finally regained his composure, and opened his eyes, looking to Shera and seeing the compassion there.

"**Vahn, Noa, Shera. Are you going to go to East Voz Forest now?"** Shera turned her eyes to Vahn for the answer, her eyes gleaming with the spark that had seemed to disappear when she'd first seen the smoke coming from the monastery. It had finally reappeared, seeing the determination from the monk. Vahn nodded to the question, and glanced over his shoulder as he heard Noa returning. **"I knew it! I know that Songi is waiting for me in East Voz Forest. If the Genesis Tree is still alive, I'll revive it and free the monastery from the Mist!"** Shera's look of slight respect disappeared all of a sudden, replaced by a slight look of disgust.

Shera shifted her weight to one leg, idly letting one of her tonfas swing back and forth. Vahn glanced at her and smiled slightly, understanding the look. Shera had picked fights with Ixis over certain things, one of which being who actually had done most of the work that Tetsu had set them to do around the village to learn humility. Shera couldn't stand when people took credit for something someone else did.

"**After traveling together, I know how strong you are now. ...Actually, to be honest, I'm not confident enough to go to East Voz Forest without you. I need your strength. Please!"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at Gala, wondering how much he'd had to argue with himself before admitting that. The hand that wasn't holding the swinging tonfa was slipped inside her belt pouch, her palm pressed against the Ra-Seru egg. Her nerves eased as soon as she felt the tingling against her hand, as if the Seru inside was already trying to comfort her. **"Will you take me with you?"**

Vahn turned his head to look at Shera, who lifted an eyebrow at him, as if asking why he was looking to her. He then looked to Noa, who tilted her head at him, looking clueless. Vahn sighed, looking a bit aggravated that everyone was looking to him to make decisions. Shera merely smiled a little. There was a reason why he was the only one that everyone looked to. Noa was just too clueless as to the social aspects of the world outside of the cave that she'd been raised in. Shera was far too emotional to make decisions during stressful situations like this and didn't have the Ra-Seru that made people look to Vahn. Gala was about as inept in social situations as Noa was, so used to the organized and polite life of the monastery.

Finally, Vahn nodded. Shera could tell he was doing his best not to sigh with frustration. The look on Gala's face showed appreciation, and he bowed to Vahn in the way of the monks, and Shera smirked briefly. There was no way that the man would have done that to Vahn when they'd first arrived. Perhaps some of what she'd said to him had sunk in once he'd gotten back to the monastery and saw what the Mist meant in terms of human lives.

"**Thank you! From the bottom of my heart, I thank you."** Shera pulled her hand from her belt pouch, and started for the tunnel, anxious to get out and get moving towards their goal, which was restoring the Genesis Tree. She heard the others moving along behind her.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera sighed slightly as she looked up at the misty moon, lying on her back in the plains. She was tired, but she couldn't quite bring herself to actually fall asleep. She had tears slipping down the sides of her face, and she closed her eyes before rolling onto her side, facing away from the small fire.

The sound of someone moving around made her eyes open again, and she shifted her head a little, wondering who it was. Vahn was wandering around in the darkness, and she could hear him distantly, fighting something.

"**How do you do it?"** Shera turned her head more as she heard Gala, though she kept her tears hidden from him. **"I heard Vahn telling Maya about Rim Elm being attacked, and I felt pity, but I didn't feel any compassion. I didn't know what it was you had gone through. How do you keep going?"** Shera closed her eyes again, and then sat up, still facing away from the fire.

"**We keep going because we can't stop. If we stop...we may never get going again. I can't afford to weep over what's happened to Maya, or my father. It's not for a lack of feelings for them, though. It's for my feelings for my sister, for my village...For everyone living in fear of the Mist."** Shera closed her eyes and tilted her head back as if looking at the moon, the tears on her face glistening. **"When I left Rim Elm...That was perhaps my first selfless act ever. Learning to fight, rebelling against the village elder...All of that was for myself. The more I think on it, I left Rim Elm for my sister, Mei. She hid it well, but she worried for Vahn."** Silence greeted her words, along with the soft snores of Noa and the muffled sounds of Vahn killing yet another monster.

"**If it is this hard for you, who seems to be prone to choosing their own path, I wonder how hard it is on Vahn, who is following what he has been told all his life."** Shera took a deep breath at that, and crossed her legs in front of her, taking up the pose for meditation that Tetsu had taught her. She needed desperately to clear her mind, before her emotions welled up and took over her again.

"**Which is harder, though? Following what you have been taught...or creating your own path? I have been faced with nothing but opposition, and Vahn with nothing but encouragement."** Shera couldn't keep a slight tone of bitterness from her voice, and took a deep breath to calm herself. **"The culture of Rim Elm has never seemed to fit with the few ideals I can remember from before arriving there."** Her eyes opened, and she took another deep breath, feeling calmer and calmer.

"**You were not born in Rim Elm?"** Shera shook her head, still not looking at Gala. There was a sort of comradarie that she was just starting to develop between them that startled her. Perhaps it was because the monk was more comfortable with her than with Noa or Vahn right away, on account of her not having a Seru.

"**I can't remember much of my life before I washed up in Rim Elm. What I can remember is of being allowed to do whatever any boy could do, and that I have a brother. I don't know how I came to be in the ocean, nor do I remember how I was separated from my brother."** Shera heard Gala shift, and her eyes opened as she felt a hand on her shoulder. The monk didn't say anything, merely offering her what little comfort on the subject that he could. Shera smiled a little, realizing what she felt towards the monk. He felt like a brother to her. She'd argued with him already, but it had blown over quickly, much like her arguments with her sister.

Gala moved away from Shera, and she lay back down, closing her eyes. Speaking with the monk had calmed her heart some, and she found herself falling asleep fairly quickly. She heard Vahn pass in front of her on his rounds around their campsite, and sighed as her body relaxed. With Vahn to watch over them, they didn't have to worry. Meta would keep an eye out for creatures and the Seru when Vahn's attentiveness waned.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**End Notes**: Okay, so there are a few things here that I hadn't been planning when I first started to write. One of which was Shera's relationship with Gala. The two of them were supposed to be much less friendly. But as I wrote, I found myself realizing that it just didn't fit with Gala's personality. So Songi gets to be creepier instead.

Enjoy and review!


	8. Distant Thunder

**Authoress' notes:** My muse seems to come in spurts. Either that, or I have ideas that end abruptly. Though my promotion at work hasn't helped with my writing time, seeing as I work evenings now, and come home far too tired to really even think much. However, it's a job where I don't deal with people constantly, and I work at a slower pace. Stocking things works for me.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia. Shera, however, belongs to me.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Chapter 7: Distant Thunder

Shera was again awake before dawn, and walked the perimeter of their camp with her tonfas thrumming. Gala was simply sitting by the fire, staring at the embers. After Shera was assured that no creatures were going to attack them during the dark, she went and sat down next to Gala, crossing her legs in front of her. Gala glanced at her, and then turned his eyes back to the fire.

"**...I didn't understand you when you first arrived at the monastery."** Shera tilted her head to the side, and glanced at Vahn as he stirred and sat up. Gala noticed as well, and glanced towards him. Shera wasn't surprised when he didn't continue his chatting with Shera.

"**Mmm..." **Shera smirked a little as Vahn stretched, and glanced towards Noa, wondering if she would also wake before the dawn.

"**Bad dream?"** Vahn looked up to Shera as she asked her question, and ran his fingers through his hair. Shera couldn't help but stare at Meta where the red object was attached to her friend's wrist. It was a little bigger than she remembered it, though it could have simply been her imagination.

"**Not really. Just nerves. Or the Mist."** Shera nodded, knowing what it was he was talking about. The Mist had a tendency to bring a person's doubts to the surface. That was part of why she'd broken down so thoroughly inside the monastery. She'd also noticed that she tended to have troubling dreams while in the Mist as well. The dream about the monster that had destroyed the Wall was most prominent while she was traveling.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera looked up as they finally reached East Voz Forest, feeling the distant holy aura of the Genesis Tree. She smiled a little at that, and stretched her arms, feeling soothed by that aura.

Vahn, Noa, and Gala were walking in front of her, talking a bit about something. She looked towards them as Gala stopped walking. She slowed to a stop just a little bit behind him.

"**Wait a moment, everyone."** That made Noa and Vahn stop and look back at him. Shera hooked one of her tonfas on her belt and reached a hand into her pouch to touch the Ra-Seru egg again, still wondering at the tingling she felt from it. **"I feel that Songi is here..."** Shera tilted her head at that, and lifted an eyebrow.

She wasn't aware that monks were able to discern where their friends were over such a distance. She glanced at Vahn, and blinked as she saw that he didn't look terribly surprised. Perhaps it was an extension to how she felt the Seru. Or perhaps it was just that Gala knew Songi, and the way that he thought.

"**Vahn, Noa, Shera."** The brunette's attention flicked back to Gala as he spoke, sounding incredibly serious. **"I need you three to promise me something. Even if Songi appears before you, don't fight him."** Shera frowned at that. There was nothing more that she wanted to do to the man that was responsible for Maya becoming possessed by a Seru, at this point. Her expression didn't change any as Gala looked to her, likely knowing that she would be the most impetuous. **"I know this is asking a lot, but if a Seru possesses his soul as you say, then I want to be the one to take care of him."**

Shera shook her head a little at Gala. If Songi was possessed by a Seru, then he likely wouldn't have been able to do what he'd done. Unless...Perhaps he had found a Seru like the one possessing the man that had attacked Rim Elm. At any rate, reviving the Genesis Tree would be enough to free him. No one needed to die.

"**I will detain you no longer. Come, let's hurry."** Shera sighed at Gala's return to formality, and ran her thumb over the Ra-Seru egg one last time before removing her hand from her belt pouch and pulling her tonfa from her belt again.

A few steps past where Gala had stopped them, and Shera spotted a small shrine. To her eyes, it must have been built just before the Mist arrived, as it wasn't rotting down yet. Gala noticed it as well, and paused before moving towards it. Shera blinked at him and trailed after him, wondering what he was doing. Vahn and Noa also noticed, and glanced to each other before following as well.

"**The weed hammer is still here?"** Shera blinked at what he said, and tilted her head as she saw the hammer hanging within the small shrine. Gala reached out and picked up the object, and Shera's eyes widened in wonder as she saw that the hammer was made of some sort of crystal.

"**Oh, wow..."** Shera wasn't the only one distracted by the fact that it was glittery. Noa had a look of awe on her face as well. Gala glanced between the two of them, and smirked slightly. Shera caught the look and put her hands on her hips, her tonfas still in her hands.

"**What's it for?"** She nodded towards hammer that the monk held, knowing that it had to have been made for a reason, and be important for it to have its own shrine within a holy forest.

"**There are weeds here in the East Voz Forest that are said to be like crystals. They break only when struck by an object that resonates with them."** Shera blinked at the answer, as it was entirely serious, and held no disdain. She tilted her head to the side at the concept, though, looking a little disbelieving. Gala merely smiled at her. **"Before the Mist came, a monk was chosen every week to come to East Voz Forest and walk the pilgrim's path to clear it of the crystal grass. The grass is likely spread across the entire path by now."** Shera still looked disbelieving, but shrugged and silently volunteered to take point, walking past Vahn and Noa.

Vahn looked after Shera and sighed slightly before following her, setting his hand on the sword sheathed to his left. He'd only just gotten used to fighting with it in his hand, having used it only at night, when there were weaker creatures to attack them.

A shout from ahead of them made everyone rush to Shera's side. Vahn felt his blood run cold as he saw that she was fighting off two different kinds of Seru at once, and drew his short sword to attack the strange one, which looked like it was made of metal. Shera seemed to be having a bit of trouble with it, for some reason. Noa and Gala attacked the Nighto.

The new Seru faded out of existence as Meta absorbed the creature, and Shera panted as she glanced at the other fight just as Gala shattered the Nighto's outer shield. She then closed her eyes and took a knee as she tried to get her breath back, bowing her head.

"**Shera! Are you alright?"** The brunette woman lifted her head at Noa's concern, and pushed herself back to her feet, forcing her breath to return to normal.

"**I'm alright. Vahn, what's that new Seru called?"** Vahn blinked at the sudden change of topic, and turned his eyes to Meta for the answer. **"Whatever it is, it's a water type."** Vahn blinked at that news, and looked over his friend, looking surprised that he hadn't noticed she looked a bit damp before now.

"**It's a Gizam. And yes, it's a water type Seru."** Shera wiped her wet bangs off of her forehead, sweeping them to the side. Her bangs stayed there, and she wiped the excess water from her face.

"**You don't look hurt, though."** Shera tilted her head to the side at that, and reached into her belt, tugging a blue stone from where it had been pinned between the leather and her shirt.

"**I spotted this in the chest in West Voz Forest. I noticed it glow blue while I was getting attacked."** Vahn lifted an eyebrow as she told them where she'd gotten it.

"**A Deep Sea Jewel? Those are from the Sebucus Islands. It's rare to see one not set in a necklace or a bangle, though, I've heard. The book I read in the library on protective jewels said that sailors used them as a charm against storms."** Shera blinked at Gala, wondering if he would ever stop the oral diarrhea of knowledge. She understood all of it, but it wasn't the place for learning about it.

"**Why didn't you point it out, though?"** Vahn had been giving Gala the same look that Shera had, though he frowned at Shera, who was shifting a little uncomfortably.

"**Well...Look at it. The pattern on it looks like waves."** The stern look on Vahn's face eased as he saw that she was right, and sighed a little before smiling a bit at her. Gala looked between Vahn and Shera, looking confused. Vahn noticed, and chuckled. **"Rim Elm is a village on the ocean, and Shera's favorite place in the village was a tree where she could see nothing but the wall and the waves of the ocean."** The brunette scratched the back of her head as she started to walk again, though she wasn't wandering too far.

"**The waves are soothing to me, and we've been inland for...Has it been weeks already? It certainly feels like it."** Vahn chuckled as Shera pointed the question towards him, leading the others after his childhood friend. **"Anyway, I like things that have a wave pattern on them."** Gala looked like he understood a bit now, and trotted towards Shera a bit and grabbed her shoulder as she was about to brush past some grass.

"**That's crystal grass. Here."** Shera blinked as he told her that the light green grass that didn't look much different from the grass they'd been walking through was the super-hard grass the monk had mentioned earlier. She jumped as Gala gently touched the hammer to the grass, hearing the hammer resonate with a beautiful note as the grass shattered down to the ground.

"**Woah!"** Vahn and Noa both were as startled as Shera, their eyes wide. Shera crouched down and picked up a shard of the crystal grass, and held it up to the light trickling through the canopy of the forest. The others could see the green light from where the ray of light hit the shard and continued on, casting the patch of the color onto the brunette's cheek.

"**It actually **_**is**_** crystal..."** Gala chuckled at the look of wonder on the face of the usually mature brunette. Noa also picked up a piece, and found a ray of light to look at her piece. **"And I can see the veins of the plant, too!"** This time, Vahn chuckled, and lifted a hand to bring Shera's hand back down.

"**Look at it later, girls. We have a reason to be here, remember?"** Noa looked to Vahn as he spoke, and both she and Shera nodded, tucking away the shards. Noa took point this time, and Shera followed along after. Gala was the only one to see Vahn stoop to grab a shard for himself.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Noa was the one to spot the chest of offerings this time, and sent the cheery call back to the others. She had the chest open by the time Vahn and Gala were there, holding up a few shiny gems while Shera looked closely at a plant growing next to the chest.

"**A Cure Amulet, Earth Jewel, and an Azure Jewel."** Shera glanced to Gala as he spoke, plucking a bud and a flower from the plant and a leaf from the plant next to it. She pulled out her packet of healing leaves and folded the two objects into it. **"Eh? What are those?"** Shera smirked at Gala and his abrupt ignorance. It seemed as though the know-it-all didn't know it all.

"**Most of them are healing leaves, but I think I have a few in here that Vahn and Noa could use. This plant here I've used in the past to make tea."** Shera gestured towards the plant she'd taken the leaf from. **"It soothes the mind and allows a person to think clearly. I've noticed sometimes that at day's end, Vahn, you look like you've got far too much on your mind."** The blunette blinked at her, looking genuinely startled. His eyes turned to the chest, again, and he dipped his hand in, pulling out what looked like a book. Gala's eyes widened at that.

"**Is that...It's an ivory book. I've only ever seen an illustration of that. Never an explanation." **Shera blinked at Gala, and tilted her head to look at the ivory book. It was carved out of some sort of white bone or something like that. It wasn't an actual book, though it looked like it. There were small gems studded in what looked like the cover. Vahn shrugged and tucked it into his belt pouch. Shera chuckled as she looked at what Noa had just pulled out of the chest.

"**A child's weapon? It must have been dear for it to be left here."** Vahn smiled as well at the small club, amused by the cuteness of it. Shera noticed something out of the corner of her eye and blinked at the shocked look on Gala's face.

"**That...I left that here the only time I ever came to East Voz Forest, just before the Mist came. I thought...I thought for sure it would have rotted."** Noa handed the object to Gala, tilting her head to the side. Shera narrowed her eyes at it, taking a good look at how well it was built without touching it.

"**It's Carm wood. Hard, doesn't rot easily. My tree in Rim Elm is a Carm tree."** Gala blinked at Shera's announcement, looking a little irked that she was able to speak accurately on such things. **"Hey, you learn things when you insist on doing everything the boys do in a small village."** She reached into the chest again and pulled out three bottles.

"**Medicine, antidote, and...Guardian Water?" **Vahn looked a little confused at the last one. He looked to Gala, who shrugged. He apparently didn't recognize the name. The long-haired brunette shrugged as well and tucked it into her belt pouch. **"Let's get going, then. That's all that's in there."** Vahn nodded and stood as well, pausing with a frown the same time as Shera.

"**Nighto."** All of them looked up and around, looking for the Seru. Gala was the one to spot it, just as it swooped towards him. He yelped and rolled out of the way, the sound alerting Shera, who was next to him.

Shera turned and swung upwards with her tonfa, hitting the soft central part of the Seru. It screeched eerily before shattering. Vahn and Noa blinked at the tip of Shera's weapon and then at her as she rubbed at a scrape on her arm from where part of the Nighto's shell had hit it.

"**You really are getting stronger. And you don't even have a Ra-Seru to boost your strength like Vahn and I do."** Gala blinked at Noa as the redhead praised Shera. Vahn raised his right hand to summon Vera, and Shera shook her head at him. He frowned as he understood, and watched as she dug into her belt pouch and pulled out the bundle of leaves.

Shera pulled a leaf from the outside of it and ripped it in half before holding both halves over the now-bleeding scrape and squeezing the plump leaf so that the sap from it dripped onto the wound. Gala stared as the wound sealed and then faded, healed by the sap of the leaf, confused.

Shera noticed him staring after she looked up, and tossed the leaf to the side, rubbing the excess sap off of her arm. **"You've never seen anyone use a healing leaf before? They grow all over the place."** Vahn tilted his head to the side, looking like he was thinking.

"**Didn't Tetsu have those in his garden? I remember he'd always have a few with him when he was training us."** Gala looked between Vahn and Shera, a surprised look on his face again.

"**You were trained by Master Tetsu?"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at Gala's slight reverence, and wondered what exactly Tetsu had done to earn such respect.

"**He was in Rim Elm when the Mist came, so yes. He even told Shera she was the best student he ever had, just before we left."** Shera looked sharply at Vahn, tilting her head to the side while giving him a suspicious look. **"Nene told me before I left."** Shera rolled her eyes. For how young Nene was, she was quite the gossip. The brunette could only guess that it was to feel more comfortable as the sole woman of her household.

"**Nene's a worse gossip than my sister."** Vahn laughed aloud at that, and Shera smiled a little as she started to walk again. Noa simply tilted her head to the side as she followed the other girl.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera had fallen to the back of the group by the time they arrived at the Genesis Tree, and stiffened as she felt something unlike anything else she'd ever felt. It was a mixture of the power of a Ra-Seru and the evil of the common Seru.

"**Vahn...Something evil's here."** Vahn looked back to Shera, who looked truly alarmed, and Gala turned to look at her as well. Noa had run ahead to the clearing around the Genesis Tree.

"**I found it! Look everyone! It's the Genesis Tree! And it's alive!"** Vahn's reaction was stopped by the joyful call from Noa, and even Shera sighed with relief that the tree was still alive. Shera's sense of something evil was ignored by even her as they all rushed to set eyes on the tree, though Gala did glance at the other brunette once.

"**This Genesis Tree does seem different from the won in West Voz Forest. Did Songi find this Genesis Tree?"** Shera and Vahn walked up on either side of the monk, looking up at the glowing tree. Shera had a small smile on her face to see that it was indeed alive. She stepped forwards and pressed a hand to the tree, looking up at the bare branches as she felt the life under her hand. **"Or did the Genesis Tree mislead him into taking a wrong turn somewhere?"** Shera glanced over her shoulder at Gala, lifting an eyebrow at that theory of his.

"**I'm not sure. I'm still feeling that evil, though."** Vahn looked at Shera with alarm as Meta glowed red, and she tilted her head at him, her hand still on the trunk.

"**Meta just said something about the same."** Shera rolled her eyes a little, having gotten used to Vahn's Ra-Seru continually sensing and discovering the same thing as her in slightly different ways. Vahn merely sighed and started towards the Genesis Tree.

"**Now wait just a minute!"** Shera's head snapped up as she heard the male voice call from above, her eyes finding the speck of red high on the nearby cliff.

"**Songi..."** The man stepped forwards to reveal himself, hands on hips and looking down at them. Shera barely glanced at Vahn as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder to push her behind her.

"**Watch what you're doing, or you'll hurt yourselves! Hahaha!"** Shera stared at Songi as he sneered down at them, and flicked her eyes to Vahn and Gala. Vahn looked serious and confused, his eyes still on Songi. Shera returned her attention back to him. **"Gala! I knew you would come! You're so predictable! How thoughtful of you to come all the way here to check up on me! I'm flattered!"** Shera frowned at Songi's actions, and her eyes widened as she saw something on his right arm as he gestured.

Shera and Gala both inhaled sharply as Songi jumped into the air and spun in the air to land on the top of a nearby tree. Shera's eyes were definitely wide, sure that he would miss and crash to the ground in a mess of blood and broken bones. But no, he landed as cleanly as could be on the topmost branch, not even having to hold onto the thin trunk to balance.

"**But don't worry about me! I'm the picture of health – physically and mentally!"** Shera frowned at that, doubting it as she got a better look at the object on Songi's right arm. He was wearing a Seru, and he was still in control of himself. Something was wrong. **"I may be wearing a Seru, but I haven't done anything stupid like let it control me!" **Shera shook her head at that, looking like she didn't believe it.

'_Those who believe they are free are the most enslaved...He is being controlled.' _Shera watched as Songi jumped from the tree to land on another ledge much lower on the cliff, and she stepped forwards, standing next to Noa as she narrowed her eyes at the Seru on the redheaded man's arm. She could see horns on the Seru, not something on either Terra or Meta.

"**This is a special Seru! It gives me pure energy, extraordinary power! Gala, you're no match for me now!"** Shera scowled at the arrogance and sheer confidence in Songi's voice, her hands clenching hard around her tonfas. Songi flipped again, landing on the ground before the brunette monk. **"Fight me! I'll destroy you, just like I destroyed Biron Monastery!" **Noa lunged forwards, running into the arm that Gala stuck out to keep her back. Shera simply continued to glare at Songi, her knuckles white.

"**That's it! I'm gonna knock your block off, Songi! Lemme at him!"** Shera stepped forwards calmly, though her tonfas were tight against her forearms, and her body was fully tense. She could see Gala's facial expression soften very slightly at the girl's anger, though Shera didn't stop walking, moving until she was even with the other three.

"**Noa, you promised to leave him to me, right?"** Shera saw Vahn glance worriedly at Shera out of the corner of her eye, but didn't turn her own from Songi, who by now was staring back at her. She could see that he looked a little confused by her fierce animosity.

"**You know what you did to Maya?"** Songi's eyes narrowed at the growl coming from the brunette woman who spun a single tonfa around to point the long part at him, teeth bared in fury. **"She's controlled by a Seru now. A Seru that you, one of the ones she saw _as a son_, let into the monastery."** Songi scoffed at Shera's accusation, turning his head to look away from her. Vahn reached over with his right hand, his sword in his left, to grab Shera's arm and keep her from charging at the redhead. **"I will break every bone in your body, skin you alive, and then rip your guts out."**

Vahn, Gala, Noa, and Songi all stared at Shera for her violent threat, Vahn especially. The look on the woman's face showed that she would likely be completely willing to do such an act, though. There was fury snapping like the coldest ice in her eyes, all focused on the wayward monk. Vahn could easily say he had never seen her so furious.

"**Such bloodthirst...Ah, that's right. You're that old bat's daughter, the one that she left in some tiny village to the south."** Shera started to shake a little with her fury, her eyes widening a bit. How dare he insult Maya in such a way!

"**Songi! You say you are not possessed by the Seru?"** Shera closed her eyes to try to calm herself, so that she wouldn't attack the monk. **"You...You are not the Songi I know! You're nothing but a bloodthirsty beast! I don't know what happened to you, but you are obviously void of a human spirit."** Shera opened her eyes again, and turned them to Gala, who looked furious at Songi. It seemed as though he was as angered by his old friend's words.

Vahn gently pulled Shera back alongside the Genesis Tree as Gala slid into a fighting stance. Noa looked at Shera with worry, and the brunette shoved her right hand tonfa into her belt before sliding her hand into her belt pouch, placing her hand against the calming Ra-Seru egg.

"**If you want to fight me that badly, then I'll fight you! Leave the others out of this. I'll beat the evil out of you and return you to normal! Now fight me!"** Shera scowled as Songi turned and spat to the side before moving into a loose fighting stance, smirking confidently.

"**You hopeless simpleton. You still don't understand the situation. Well, I'll show you. I'll hammer it into that thick skull of yours!"** Shera gasped as Songi suddenly disappeared from one spot and then reappeared directly in front of Gala, punching him in the face.

The monk grunted as he fell backwards, and lay there for a moment before getting up, blood leaking from the skin that Songi had broken on his forehead. He stayed on one knee for a couple of seconds before forcing himself up onto his feet, and rushed to Songi with a yell, throwing punches at his one-time friend. The redhead deflected all of the punches to one side or the other, and flicked his hand into Gala's chest, sending him flying back again.

Vahn had to grab Shera's arm as she moved to try to help him, his eyes on Gala as the monk got up again, and tightened his grip on her as their companion again fell to a knee. Songi laughed as Gala stayed kneeling, his head bowed as he panted. Shera could only imagine how dizzy Gala was.

"**Gala, I thought you were stronger than that! You're not even a worthy opponent!"** Shera growled in the back of her throat as Songi turned his back to Gala, shaking his head. **"This is ridiculous! Absurd! You need more practice!"** Vahn let go of Shera, and she dashed to Gala's side, her hand dipping into her belt pouch and coming out with her bundle of healing items. **"Look at you. Relying on a woman for protection."** Shera lifted her head at that, her hands freezing as they unfolded the packet.

"**Shut your trap."** Songi blinked at the pure ice that came from Shera, not failing to notice that she handed the brunette monk several healing leaves. Noa, by now, was kneeling next to the monk, and helped him to use the leaves. **"He isn't the one that's turned on the place he lived. He isn't the one who turned on the people he grew up with."** Shera stood, and pulled her tonfas out of her belt, stepping in front of Gala. Songi merely scoffed, waving a hand as if dismissing what she said.

"**You lot aren't even worth dirtying my hands over. I'll leave you to one of my cohorts!"** Shera growled at Songi's arrogance, but didn't move from her protective place in front of Gala. **"Have a nice, enjoyable, pleasant...death!"** Shera spun around as she felt Seru appear behind them, her eyes widening.

As Shera started towards the strange Seru, she felt fingers digging into her braid and a hand cover her mouth to keep her from yelping. She lifted one hand and turned her tonfa to jab it into the body she felt behind her. The tip slammed into something hard, and she winced at the shock it gave to her hand.

"**You'd better watch your tongue, girl. Otherwise you won't make it back to your dear village. Or perhaps it won't be there when you return."** Shera spun her tonfa again, and jabbed towards where she heard Songi's voice, jabbing at his gut with her other tonfa. His hands left her mouth and hair, and she spun around, her stance widening as she flipped her tonfas towards the rogue monk's head.

"**I've had more than enough of your shit. Stand and-Aagh!"** Shera yelled as she felt pain arc through her body all of a sudden, and she fell to a knee, planting the short side of one of her tonfas on the ground. She felt her muscles spasm and tasted blood in her mouth from where she'd bit her cheek.

"**Shera?"** The brunette spat out the blood in her mouth as she felt the familiar tingling that came from Vahn's healing magic, and stood, feeling a little sore from whatever attack that was. She sent a glare to Songi where he stood on the cliff again, well out of the way of the battle. **"Are you alright? You took a direct hit from that lightning bolt."** Shera spat out the blood from her mouth as the injury it came from finally sealed.

"**Oh, is that what that was?"** Shera forced herself up and glared at Songi before turning to look at the Seru that had appeared. She couldn't deny that they looked frightening. They had no legs, just two arms that almost seemed to float off of their bodies. **"...Great, he summoned demons. Just lovely."** Vahn gave Shera an odd look before moving back to Noa's side.

One of the two creatures turned to Vahn and Shera, and both of them dived to the side, away from the lightning bolt that was summoned down. Noa smacked the other one had in the face, and then rolled backwards to avoid getting shocked by it as it electrocuted itself.

"**They're called Viguros, according to Meta."** Shera rolled her eyes at Vahn's information, and dove forwards to avoid another bolt. She spun both of her tonfas up at the Viguro that was concentrating on her and Vahn, and yelped at the slight shock that she felt.

Shera growled as she felt her muscles twitch painfully, and glanced between the two Seru. They were going to get nowhere if they kept fighting like this. She could see that they all needed to concentrate on just one of the two and then the other. She forced herself to stand and then lunged at the one that Gala and Noa were fighting.

Just after hitting the Viguro, she felt a strong hand grab her arm and yank her out of the way of the charge that usually countered an attack. She rolled to her feet and then jumped sideways to avoid another lightning bolt. Vahn was attacking the one that Shera had started to attack, seeming to have understood why Shera had done so.

The first Viguro fell fairly quickly once the four of them teamed up on it. Shera had been shocked a couple of times again in that amount of time, and she was wincing at every movement. She had noticed that she seemed to be in more pain from each shock than any of the others, especially Gala, who seemed to simply shrug off the attacks.

"**You alright, Shera?"** The brunette woman turned her head to look at Noa who knelt next to her, and pulled out a leaf, which she stuck in her mouth and chewed, grimacing at the extremely bitter taste.

"**Could be better. Could be worse."** Shera spat out the remains of the leaf as she stood, twirling her tonfas. She dashed towards the Viguro at the same time as Gala, sliding under his attack to slap the end of her tonfa against the chest of the Seru, tucking and rolling to get out of the way for Vahn's sword stroke, which landed exactly where she'd just been. She stood again as she heard Noa's battlecry, and panted as she watched as the Viguro shattered like its partner.

Shera and Gala both fell to a knee with relief that the battle was over, the former using her tonfas to keep from falling on her face as her muscles screamed at her in pain. Chewing the leaf had been a placebo at most. She still felt the pain of all the electricity that had gone through her.

"**Stop! Enough already! Gala! You're completely useless!"** Shera growled at Songi and forced herself to her feet, ignoring the screaming of her muscles. She limped towards Songi, a snarl on her face. She was stopped by Gala reaching out and grabbing her wrist as she came level to him. **"You're holding everyone down! As a fellow Biron monk, I'm ashamed! You were so bad, I was ashamed to even watch!"** Shera growled at Songi, all of her will taken up by continuing to stand and not snapping at Songi again. **"Oh, I've had enough! I'm going home!"** This made Shera growl again.

"**What home? You destroyed it."** Songi sent a glare at the long-haired brunette, which she returned. Songi simply turned around after a moment, feeling confident enough in their weakness to let his guard down so completely.

"**Let's play together again another time, Gala...If a wussy like you can manage to stay alive, that is!"** Shera closed her eyes for a moment, swaying a bit. **"And girl..."** Shera's eyes snapped open at that, glaring daggers at the male redhead as he turned a little to smirk at her. **"You aren't bad...For a woman."** Shera's eyes narrowed at him and tracked him as he jumped up the cliff again.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**End notes:** I played with the dialogue a good bit, since it really isn't like Shera to stand off to the side mutely, and Songi would definitely have to react to what she has to say. As for some of the big words that Shera's been using in the semi-thought comments that I've been throwing in, well...I'm pretty sure I saw books somewhere in Rim Elm.

There's a bit coming up in a couple of chapters that I'd like to have some feedback on. Do you readers want me to write the bit about the Mist Generator? Things are going to happen, and Shera won't be going there with Vahn and the others, so unless I get some reviews stating that the Mist Generator is wanted, I'm likely to just skip over it.


	9. Parting Paths

**Authoress's Note:** It's been a while since I last updated here, but I was caught up in work. XP Part one of a double-update, because I've been so inspired to work on this story.

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own the characters, plot, or world of Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 8: Parting Paths**

Vahn turned to look at Shera as she landed heavily on her knees, her tonfas falling from her hands. Gala grunted a bit as he heaved himself up onto his feet, worry in his eyes. He touched her shoulder and Shera shook her head, breathing heavily.

"**I'll be fine. Just need to cool down."** Vahn frowned at Shera, and reached down to pat her shoulder as he walked over to the Genesis Tree.

Shera sat on her heels and looked tiredly at Vahn as he set his right hand on the trunk of the Genesis Tree, and reached into her belt pouch to bring out the Ra-Seru egg. She frowned as she saw that it was sparking a bit, and set it on the ground. Gala turned to frown at it as well.

Shera sighed as she felt healing magic wash over her, and blinked at Noa, who smiled brightly at her. The brunette smirked a little as she felt most of her aches disappear. She stood and stretched, wincing as she felt joints pop. She stooped and picked up the Ra-Seru egg, only to toss it into the air with a yelp as she felt a jolt of electricity. Gala quickly caught it with a yelp as well, and tucked it into the crook of his arm. Noa giggled a little as Shera rubbed her wrist and hand, looking confused.

"**How'd it get an electric charge?"** Gala shrugged, then blinked, looking at her quizzically.

"**I don't feel one."** Shera frowned, and then turned to look at the tree as Noa walked over to it and placed her left hand on it, her eyes closing with a look of concentration.

Shera smiled as the tree glowed and grew. She tilted her head back to watch the branches grow, and took a deep breath in as she felt the holy power spread through her. She gasped as a column of light sprung from the tree, and took a step back at a particularly powerful burst of energy from the plant. She wasn't the only one to, either. Gala turned as he took a step back, shielding the Ra-Seru egg.

Shera opened her eyes and looked up at the tree with wide eyes, and turned to look at Gala as he yelped, setting on edge for a moment. She blinked and tilted her head to the side as she saw that the Ra-Seru egg was floating in front of him, her eyes widening.

Vahn and Noa turned to look at the egg, and all four of them jumped as the shell of the object shattered, revealing the creature within. Shera had to quickly lift an arm to block a bit of shell that was flying towards her face. Gala stepped back, but for a different reason.

"**It's a Ra-Seru!"** Shera lowered her arm to blink at the Ra-Seru as it turned towards Gala and started to float towards him. She tilted her head to the side, wondering at that. Gala started to look concerned, and both he and Shera looked to Vahn, their eyebrows raised in confusion.

"**Meta says that if there's a choice of hosts, a Ra-Seru picks the one closer to their elemental affinity." **Shera tilted her head at that, wondering what Gala's was. She knew that hers was water, for sure. Gala merely scowled.

"**Ra-Seru! Why are you here, in front of me? Is it me you have chosen**?" Shera snorted softly at Gala's demands. It wasn't like the Ra-Seru could answer**. "Very well! I submit myself to you!"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at his wording, and shifted her weight to one leg.

'_I don't think it's a matter of submitting...from what I've seen of Vahn and Noa, it's a matter of partnership. Gala uses the proper term for them, but I don't think he truly trusts them yet.'_ The brunette put a tonfa on her belt and scratched the back of her head, propping the other hand on her hip.

"**To defeat Songi, the villain who attacked Biron Monastery...I submit myself to you, Ra-Seru! Take me!"** Shera barely blinked as Gala reached up with his right hand to the Ra-Seru. She did turn her head at the flash of light blue light, and rubbed at her eyes, blinking them so that her vision returned to normal.

When her eyes opened again, Gala was holding his right arm up, looking at the blue metal now fused to his skin. It looked more like a weapon attached to his forearm than the bracer that Meta seemed to be, or the glove that Terra was starting to look like. There was a look of awe on his face that Shera couldn't help but smile at, remembering the shadows of that look she'd seen on Vahn's face in Rim Elm.

"**I feel it! I feel the strength in my arms! The Ra-Seru's strength..."** Shera turned her eyes to the Genesis Tree now, and walked to it, holding a hand up to touch her hand to the trunk. Unlike in Rim Elm, though, she had a sense of foreboding from the tree. She jerked her hand back with a frown, and turned to look at the others, wondering if that feeling had simply been her mind playing tricks on her.

Noa blinked at her, tilting her head to the side, and Shera simply shook her head. **"Let's return to the monastery. I...I need to see if the tree's power has reached Maya." **The others all looked to Shera as she spoke, and nodded to her. She was the one who had a family member at risk.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Vahn and Gala looked to each other as they were told that Master Zopu requested their presence, and looked to Shera had gone, to find Maya. Noa had followed her. Vahn sighed a little and scratched at his head, and started to walk to Zopu's room. The girls would arrive soon enough.

Sure enough, after a minute of standing awkwardly in front of Zopu, an irritated Shera walked through the door in front of Noa. The redhead looked relieved, and smiled at Vahn. Shera took a deep breath and crossed her arms, looking to Zopu, who cleared his throat and closed his eyes.

"**Although many died during Songi's attack, thanks to our visitors, Biron has been freed from the Mist. I thank you again."** Shera frowned as Zopu opened his eyes, looking at Gala, or rather, at the Ra-Seru on his student's arm. **"But you, Master Teacher!"** The monk stepped forwards to bow slightly, a nervous look appearing on his face. Shera knew what was coming, and thought it was entirely unfair.

"**Yessir."** Zopu sighed a little, looking tired.

"**You defied the teachings of Biron and wore a Seru. As ruler of the Biron Order, I cannot forgive you." **Shera's frown faded a bit at the look of pain in the old man's eyes. He really didn't want to cast Gala out. **"I hereby excommunicate you."**

The look on Gala's face was like he had just been hit in the stomach. He took a deep breath and went down on one knee in front of his now former master. Shera clenched a hand in the niche of her elbow, a frown back on her face.

"**I understand. I was prepared for that."** Shera's eyes went to Noa as the redhead tilted her head to the side, and quickly unfolded her arms to grab her shoulder. This made the girl look to Shera, a confused look on her head.

"**Shera? What does excommunication mean?"** A slightly sad look crossed Shera's face, and she sighed a bit. Gala stood and looked towards the two females, meeting Shera's eyes. She felt guilty, as though she was supposed to have bonded with Ozma instead of him.

"**Noa."** The redhead turned to look at Gala, who smiled a little at her**. "It means I'm no longer welcome at Biron Monastery."** The look on Noa's face was almost comical, if she wasn't so furious.

"**What! That's not right! Gala didn't do anything bad! How can you kick him out after he fought so hard for us? Zopu, that's wrong!"** Shera added pressure to keep Noa from bouncing. It also kept the redhead from attacking the old man.

"**Noa, stop! Zopu is only doing what he must. Monks like me all take a vow to obey certain rules. I broke those rules, and so I cannot be a monk of Biron anymore."** Noa continued to scowl, and ducked under Shera's hand.

"**That's okay, Gala. Vahn, Shera, and I will be your friends!"** The redhead turned to send a glare at Zopu. **"We won't ever turn our backs on you**!" Shera sighed and scratched the back of her head. She turned as she heard someone step into the room.

"**Mother..."** The green-haired woman smiled at Shera as the brunette moved to her, and hugged her.

"**Vahn, Shera...I'm so glad that both of you are safe. Noa, Master Teacher, you are as well. This makes me so happy."** Shera unwrapped her arms from around her foster mother, and stepped to the side, frowning at Vahn for the smirk on his face. **"I heard about what you did. That's really something! I'm so proud of you. I also heard that the Genesis Tree cause the thick Mist in the northwest valley to thin, revealing a strange castle. Vahn, I know you. You plan on going to that castle, don't you?"** Vahn nodded, and then hesitated, looking to Shera, who blinked at him.

"**Shera...I'm not going to be able to bring you with."** The brunette scowled at him, crossing her arms in challenge. **"If the castle is the source of the Mist, it's entirely likely that there will be nothing but Seru there. We will only be able to watch out for ourselves with the help of the Ra-Seru. I'm sorry."** Shera stiffened at that, and turned to storm out of the room.

Vahn sighed at that, and rubbed the back of his head, looking down. Noa looked after Shera with a worried frown, and Gala sighed a little, looking down at Ozma. Maya looked between Vahn and the door, and the blunette smiled a little at the mother of his friend.

"**I'll go talk to her."** Noa and Vahn blinked at Gala as he spoke, and Vahn sighed again. Vahn nodded to Maya, and gestured for Noa to follow him.

"**We'd better prepare to go to the Mist Generator."** Noa nodded, and followed Vahn. Maya sighed as the two of them left the room, and looked to Master Zopu, who looked as pained as she did.

"**He's a strong boy, to be able to tell his most trusted companion that she can't accompany him, for her own well-being. And Shera is a sensible girl. She may be angry, but she will understand."** Maya sighed at Zopu's assessment, hugging herself.

"**I hope so. I'll speak to some of the armorers and see if any of them would be willing to give them boots. Vahn and Shera are wearing boots that are made more for walking, not for fighting, and little Noa is wearing sandals yet."** Zopu smiled a little at the woman's concern, and nodded, showing that he didn't object.

"**I may ask the monks to aid in keeping Shera occupied while we wait for Vahn, Gala, and Noa to complete their mission. I have noticed that while she does enjoy being with you, she spends more time in a corner of the main hall when left to her devices. She may enjoy training with my monks." **Maya smiled as well at that, and nodded.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Gala found Shera sitting on the bridge just in front of the Biron Monastery, outside. There were a few monks outside as well, apparently feeling safer with a traveler there with them to warn them of anything coming. She'd taken off her armor, though, and her boots were lying to the side.

The brunette turned her head to glance at Gala, still looking angry. Gala smiled a little at her and sat down next to her. The brunette shifted a little so that her bare right foot was set against the worn edge of the bridge, and set her forearm on her elbow.

"**...So what element is Ozma?"** Gala blinked at Shera's question, wondering at her curiosity. **"Tetsu told me when I was younger that my affinity is with water. Part of why I was the most affected by the Viguro, perhaps." **Gala laughed at that, and Shera frowned at him, looking even more annoyed.

"**Ozma is of the electric element. He says that even if he wished to, he could not bond with you because of the difference."** Shera blinked at that, and chuckled a little. **"He stated that he thought you were the one to carry him while he was in the egg. He did his best to take the lightning and keep you from being injured."** Shera blinked at Gala, and sighed a little.

"**So if not for him, I would have been in even more pain from those things? Yay." **Gala laughed again at Shera, this time at her sarcasm. **"Ugh...Never thought I'd spend so much time away from the ocean...I miss the sound of the waves..."** Gala looked at Shera out of the corner of his eye, and smirked a little, wondering if she would be angry at him after what he was planning.

"**So you know how to swim?"** The river that ran underneath the monastery was deep enough to jump into. He could remember from when he was a boy, the older monks reminiscing about the fun they'd had, jumping into the river from the bridge. Shera merely looked at Gala quizzically.

"**Well, yes. Everyone in Rim Elm knows how to swim, even Vahn's crippled father. The village survives on fishing as much as hunting."** Gala's smirk started to grow, and he stood, stretching.

In one abrupt moment, Gala shoved Shera's back, and she yelped loudly as she fell into the river. The monks around Gala looked at him, concerned, and a couple of them rushed to the edge of the bridge to look down at Shera as she resurfaced. Instead of yelling in anger like Gala expected, she instead started to laugh before swimming to the ladder built into the granite bridge.

Gala offered Shera a hand up once she reached the top of the bridge, and she took it, her left hand wrapping around his left wrist. She flopped onto the cool granite, her light shirt making some of the monks blush as they could clearly see her breaststrap through the now-sheer material. She was huffing a puffing a bit, and soon sat up, plucking at the wet fabric to remove it from her skin.

"**Ahh...Thanks. I feel much better."** Gala chuckled at her odd reaction, and the monks looked confused. **"I didn't know that the river was deep enough to jump into, though, or slow enough for me to swim against the current."** Gala smiled at her, and sat down next to her again, hearing someone else coming out of the monastery behind them.

"**When I was younger, my teachers were always talking about the fun they'd had jumping off of this bridge into the river. You mentioned that you have an affinity with water, and I haven't seen you spend any time near the water in the time that I've known you. I figured you would be welcome to a swim."** Shera snorted a little, and leaned back, smiling a bit at Vahn, who was now standing behind her and Gala, looking confused.

"**And you're all happy again because you went for a swim."** Shera's smile turned into a grin, and she swiped at one of her rival's legs with a lazy hand. **"Hey!"** Shera laughed as Vahn actually stumbled because of that, and sat down a bit hard.

"**You just hate swimming cause your dad couldn't teach you himself."** Both Shera and Vahn had been taught how to swim by Tetsu. Shera didn't mind at all, seeing as the man practically raised her while Juno was out on hunts, but Vahn had never enjoyed it, always trying to get his father to teach him.

The blunette frowned at Shera for that, and the brunette grinned at him for it. Noa yelled in wonder nearby, and Shera sat up to look at the redhead.

"**It's so pretty...I couldn't see it because of the Mist before, but the view is so pretty..."** Shera turned her gaze to the valley before them, a calm smile on her face. Everyone looked out as well, though not all of them seemed to have an appreciation for nature that the girls did.

"**This is what the world looked like before the Mist came. There is Mist still around, but at least we have a glimpse of how the world should be. ...I wish that more of the people of the world could see sights such as this." **Vahn nodded, turning back to the valley.

"**There's to be another party tonight..."** Everyone turned to look at the monk that had spoken, and Shera lifted an eyebrow as he hesitated, silently requesting more information. **"B-because the Genesis Tree was revived. And to honor those who fell."** Shera sighed as the mood of anticipation disappeared. A party was never looked forward to when it was linked with a funeral.

"**Gala, Noa...We'd best get prepared now, then, before it all starts. I'd like to get going tomorrow morning, so we can get this done as fast as possible."** Shera sighed as Gala and Noa nodded, and turned her attention back to the valley as they followed Vahn into the monastery, simply soaking up the sun and drying off.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera ended up sitting off to the side of the party, simply watching the monks and the women who lived in the monastery with them talk and basically enjoy themselves. She'd eaten a bit, but didn't have much of an appetite as she knew that her friends would soon be going off and putting themselves in danger without her.

A soft footstep made her look up, and she blinked at Vahn as he sat down next to her, his hands also empty. He smiled a little at her, and she rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

"**I spoke to Master Zopu, he said that no one would mind if we left early. We spent most of the day fighting and traveling, after all."** Shera turned her head to look at Vahn, and snorted once in a laugh, and then stood.

"**I think I'll turn in, then. I'm pretty tired."** Vahn waited a moment and sighed with irritation once Shera was out of earshot, and got up to follow her. Unless they were training, he'd always had trouble getting Shera to just stay in one spot and talk to him. The older they'd gotten, the more likely Shera was to go from one little job to another. In Rim Elm, she was usually helping to chop firewood for everyone, covering for the weaker villagers. Vahn helped with that, too, but not as often as Shera did.

A few monks noticed Vahn trot after Shera, but none of them really made anything of it. As Zopu said, everyone knew they had been fighting and traveling all day long, and it was now after dark. They were all tired. Noa had immediately gone up to the women's bedroom after Vahn had told her that they weren't expected to stay at the party until it was done.

"**Shera..."** The brunette paused as she heard Vahn call her name, and lifted an eyebrow at him as he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. **"I do wish I could bring you with to the Mist Generator, but...Like Meta told me, it'd be far too dangerous for you. You'd almost surely become possessed by a Seru. I just want to protect you from that. Please..."** Shera sighed at Vahn, and turned her head away from him, her face moving into the shadows.

"**I'll stay here until you come back...But then I'm taking Mother back to Rim Elm."** The brunette turned her head back to look at Vahn, and pinned him with a serious look. **"And you had better wait until I get back to leave for the next region. You and I both know that Drake Kingdom is just the first step to freeing everyone from the Mist."** Vahn smiled a little at Shera, glad that she was seeing reason.

"**I'll wait."** Shera chuckled and started up the stairs to where the bedrooms were. **"Shera! One more thing."** The brunette turned around again, starting to look a bit irritated. Vahn merely grinned at her. **"Good night."** Shera stared at him for a moment, and then laughed once before trotting up the steps.

Shera shook her head once she was out of Vahn's sight, a smile on her face. She wasn't used to Vahn actually seeking her out to talk. He usually was too frustrated by something to talk. Out of everyone in Rim Elm, he was the only one that she actually considered to be a friend of hers. Ixis was just annoying, Mei was her sister, and everyone else was either too old to hang out with, or little children.

She was certainly more comfortable with traveling than she had been living in Rim Elm. The people outside of the village didn't really care that she was a woman who fought. They saw her as a woman doing what she could for the people around her. So she could fight. What of it? The world needed people who could and would be willing to fight.

Shera smiled as she saw Noa curled up on her bed, and changed into her sleep clothes, and slipped under her covers as well. She lay there staring at the dark ceiling for a while, not really tired, but not wanting to be around so many people. She had discovered in Drake Castle that crowds were really unnerving. There was so much life and movement around her that she felt overwhelmed.

Biron Monastery was much quieter, but during the two parties that she had been in here, the sense of being in a crowd had returned. And it didn't help that many of the monks were right around her age, when boys had the most hormones. She knew that they wouldn't try anything, as they were monks, but the discomfort was still there.

After a while, Shera drifted off, her right hand tucked under her head. She didn't even stir when Maya brushed a bit of her hair out of her face.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera yawned as she woke to the sound of people moving about, and sat up, wincing as her neck cracked. She arched her back and was rewarded with more cracking noises, and she then looked around. Maya smiled at her as she turned from folding clothes, and Shera stood, catching the clothing that her mother tossed her. It was her good trousers and a simple shirt.

Shera stretched again before getting dressed, and looked around again. Most of the women were gone, likely cleaning up after the night before. Maya laughed at the bemused look on her face.

"**Noa wanted to wake you up, but we all insisted that she let you sleep. You looked so peaceful. Still, Master Zopu would like to talk to you today."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at that, and tugged on her worn boots.

"**I'll go meet with him after breakfast, then."** Shera smiled at her mother, and then quickly unbraided and braided her hair before walking out and over to the kitchen.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Vahn paused at the pass to the Mist Generator, and looked back at the Biron Monastery. Noa and Gala stopped to exchange looks and then look back at him. The blue-haired young man sighed for a moment before turning and starting to walk again.

"**You did the right thing, Vahn, leaving her behind."** Vahn sighed as he looked down at Meta, and closed his eyes before turning back to the path. Gala placed a hand on his shoulder as he came level to him.

"**Trust me, she'll be fine. The most trouble that she'll be able to get into is a fight with some of the more impulsive monks."** Vahn smiled at Gala briefly, and continued to walk. They turned their attention back to the Mist that they were walking into.

"**She's pretty impulsive, herself. She barely prepared before chasing after me. Traveled for most of the night, too, if I remember right. I can't quite remember it right, as she'd woken me up by attacking some Gobu Gobus that were trying to steal my things."** Gala chuckled a little at Vahn's determinedly cheerful mood, recognizing it as the blue-haired man distracting himself from the fact that he was leaving one of his friends behind.

"**What's a Gobu Gobu?"** Vahn blinked at Noa, who was standing facing them a few yards ahead. Vahn's eyes slid past her and he frowned, drawing his sword from its sheathe.

"**Look behind you. Sorta like that Gomboo**." Noa spun around, spinning her tonfa in an imitation of Shera. The vaguely human-like monster shrieked at them, waving its shield and sword, running towards them.

Noa's tonfa smashed into its shield, and she yelped as she had to dodge the sword that was slashed at her. Vahn and Gala rushed to help her, Gala smashing the sword out of the Gomboo's hand, and Vahn dealing it a mortal blow, before turning and looking at Noa, who was recovering from her scare rather quickly. Vahn smiled a little with relief, and turned to start walking again.

"**It's not as easy to fight with this as Shera makes it look."** Vahn chuckled a little at Noa's observation, and glanced over his shoulder as he heard the hesitant sound of a single tonfa spinning in the air. It stopped pretty quickly, and Vahn glanced back again. Noa was rubbing her wrist. **"She must be stronger than I thought, to be able to do that so long. My wrist already hurts!"** Gala snorted a little, and Vahn looked to him before turning his head forwards again. The ex-monk had his club tucked into his belt, and his arms crossed in front of the chestplate that Vahn had bought for him before leaving. The man hadn't even protested, having seen that armor was of use even just in the forests.

"**Tonfas take a certain amount of finesse to use. Master Kin has actually spent most of his life creating his own style with them. Perhaps he will end up teaching Shera some."** There was respect in his voice as he spoke, grudging while speaking of Shera, and genuine while he spoke of the older man.

Vahn merely smiled sadly, wishing that his friend was able to come with them. Still, he'd bought something for her before they'd left, and left it with Maya. It was a poor apology for leaving her behind, but still...

~.~.~.~.~.~

Shera stared at the boots that sat in front of her, her worn boots sitting next to them. Her old pair were brown, with dirt rubbed into the pores of the leather so much that it was the color of dirt. Her new boots had some decoration, and would cling tightly to her ankles, unlike the boots that Juno had handed down to Shera. They were also a good deal smaller, as Shera's feet were much smaller than her father's had been.

The new boots were dark grey in color, with vivid blue and green swirling from the top cuffs to encircle her ankles. The boots themselves reached to just under her knees. Amongst the swirls were designs that Shera swore looked like storm clouds, and she smiled, a memory creeping up on her.

~.~.~.~

Shera jumped at a loud boom, and sat up, laying on the ground next to her bed. She'd managed to fall out of bed once again. She was twelve, and she still had the build of a boy, though her sister, Mei, was already filling out. Shera still slept in the loft, above where Juno slept. Her bed wasn't far off the floor, which meant she didn't wake up when she rolled out of bed, though Mei slept between her and the ladder, to make sure that she didn't roll down to the ground floor in her sleep. Mei wasn't in her bed, though, and her things were already tucked neatly away. Shera blinked at that, and jumped at another loud boom, which she noticed was followed by a whimper from downstairs.

Shera quickly put her things away, and slid down the ladder, bending her knees as she landed on the floor below, looking around. Juno was out, likely talking to the village elders about something, but Mei was nowhere to be seen. A rumble of thunder shook their house, and a yelp came from the wardrobe set off to the side of the main floor. Shera walked up to it and swung it open, tilting her head to the side as she spotted her sister's tear-stained face.

"**What's wrong? It's just sound."** Mei cringed at the next boom, the flash of light that came with it lighting up their house eerily as the sky crackled. Shera simply reached forwards and grabbed Mei's hands, gently drawing her out of the piece of furniture. **"It won't hurt you. I promise."** Mei simply looked at her with wide eyes.

"**Y-you promise?"** Shera smiled and nodded a little, seeming to be amused, and looked to the door as she heard a knock. The door opened, and in walked Tetsu, covered in a raincoat. He looked at the two of them, and his eyes softened.

"**The elders asked me to come and bring the two of you to the longhouse. They're worried that the storm will bring the waves all the way up the cliff."** Even Shera's eyes widened at that, starting to look a little frightened.

It had taken Tetsu a while to get her to feel comfortable swimming again. No one blamed her, seeing how she had been found floating in on the tide. Once she learned to swim, many people of the village commented that she swam as well as a fish did. That was how Tetsu had figured that her element was water.

This wasn't the first very large storm that had hit Rim Elm since Shera had learned to swim, and each time the idea that the village might flood came up, she looked terrified. Only once did the waves lap at the steps up to the village, and when the girl had seen that, she'd been convinced that they were all going to be swept up in the storm. Tetsu had had to be called to get her to calm down.

The monk ushered the two girls from their house, leather capes with hoods draped over them. Shera clutched her sister's hand as they were led around the gentle green glow that was the Genesis Tree. Shera looked down into the pit that held the tree, Mei's hand slipping from her own. Her sister made an odd sound, making Shera splash to catch up with the other two.

"**Tetsu, has water ever gotten into the area around the Genesis Tree? It's deeper in the ground than the rest of the village, so why doesn't it flood?"** Tetsu looked oddly at the brunette as she grabbed her sister's hand again, assuring the green-haired girl that she was there. She merely blinked up at him, her grey eyes almost seeming to be holes of blackness until a flash of lightning revealed color to the world again.

Shera remembered seeing another odd look cross her mentor's face, but she still didn't know what it was for. She did remember, though, that her fear of the storm ended as soon as she stepped outside and had the rain land on her face. They sky had been angry, yes, but it wasn't angry at them. What's more, whenever there was a storm coming, the winds blew back the Mist farther than normal, allowing the hunters to prepare for the storm better.

~.~.~.~

Shera shook her head at that memory, smiling idly as she stood, and caught up her new boots before setting them and the old pair of boots to the side of the empty training room, and sat on the floor, starting the stretches that Tetsu had taught her as a child. She was quite flexible as a result. She turned her head as she heard someone come into the room, but couldn't get a good look thanks to the angle. She finished the stretch and sat up, and blinked as she saw Kin holding two pairs of tonfas.

"**I see you've already started to warm up. How long have you been trained**?" Shera hummed a little as she bent into another stretch, thinking. Her chin rested on her knee, and she looked at her bare toes.

"**I'm not sure. I was around eight when I started, though. Master Tetsu was the first adult that I listened to."** A wry chuckle came from the elder as he sat and started to stretch as well. He was more flexible than most thought an old man would be, though not as flexible as Shera was. **"He dragged me from a tree that I climbed, and didn't let me go until I was back inside."** Shera grinned now, her chin now digging into her knee.

"**Quite rebellious as a child, were you? Perhaps it's a good thing that he trained you. It seems to have given you an outlet for your energy."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at that, and sat up, looking at the old man.

"**Energy? Noa has even more than I do. I just can't stand to be idle**." A flash of white was Kin's smile, and he sat up.

"**That she does. But it's to be expected, as she's a child yet, and has the help of a Ra-Seru. You, on the other hand, have no such crutch, and are able to keep up with the others. You also are able to sense the Seru, yes? Gala made a comment suggesting that before leaving with Vahn and Noa. There are few, even here, that can sense the Seru within the Mist. In fact, Tetsu was the last I knew of that could do so."** Shera blinked at that. Kin finished his stretches, and stood. Shera did the same, hopping to her feet and balancing on the balls of her feet.

"**Master Tetsu tried to teach it to the boys in the village through meditation, but none of them would sit still long enough. Neither did I, really, until he noticed that I tend to watch the ocean as I think. He used the waves as a way to get me to concentrate on the world around me without using my eyes or ears. He said that I should be able to use it to fight, eventually. I haven't managed to do so, though."** Kin hummed thoughtfully, and slid into a fighting stance. Shera, understanding, did the same, and closed her eyes.

At first, she only heard silence. Then, the distant hum of activity beyond the closed doors of the training room. Next, Kin's breathing, and her own. These sounds filled the air, pushing at her mind. She shoved them away, reaching for the silence that had first appeared to her. It kept slipping out of her grasp, the sound of Kin's footsteps around her keeping her from reaching it. Frustration creased her mouth for a moment before she pushed that away as well.

"**There is a peace in the monastery that every monk who masters this technique speaks of. You must find it and grasp it."** A peace? All she could hear, all she could feel beyond the muddle of her own emotions was activity. Though...wasn't there a certain amount of peace in activity? It meant life was moving, growing, becoming better. It meant that time itself was moving, drawing everything with it in a cycle, like the waves moving on the beach.

That concept grew in Shera's mind, and she felt for that cycle. It was in the breath of every person, in the sun in the sky. The sounds started to drop away as she felt each pattern, until she realized that she could feel each and every person in the monastery.

Shera's eyes opened with a gasp, and she blinked at Kin, who was looking at her with his head tilted, a look of respect on his face. She stood a little stiffly, her legs complaining movement after having been in the ready stance for so long. She smiled a little at him.

"**It isn't peace that I felt. It was life. The monastery itself has a complex cycle that it goes through every day. Within that cycle are many smaller ones."** Kin's smile grew, and he chuckled.

"**This is true. Tetsu spoke of something similar when I tested him this way."** Shera blinked at that news, and caught the tonfas that Kin tossed to her. **"You truly can sense the energies of those around you. With training, it is possible that you could fight while blinded and deafened. You will have to make that training yourself, however. Come, I will teach you what I can of tonfas."** Shera slid into her ready stance, and blinked at Kin's look. **"No, no, that stance leaves you open. Here, move this foot here..."** Shera pushed the thoughts on the cycle of daily life aside, turning all her attention to Kin's instructions.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~

**End Notes:** Sorry for how choppy this chapter is. I believe I had problems with the flow of this section of the story.

_**Read and review!**_


	10. Growth

**Authoress's note:** I've been really inspired for this story lately. And I finally get going towards the second area. XD This is part two of a double-update.

**Disclaimer: ** I do not own any part of Legend of Legaia. The only thing I have claim to is Shera.

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Chapter 9: Growth

Vahn sighed as he looked over the Mist-filled valley, his back to the campfire that they had set up before night had fully fallen. It was just before dawn, when Shera normally had watch. He still didn't understand why she usually insisted on it, other than that it gave her plenty of time to stretch properly. Some mornings he would swear that she'd taken the time to train rather than watch, but he always reminded himself that she knew what was going on in the dark much better than he did.

A slight groan behind Vahn made him jump and reach for his sword, but he relaxed as soon as he saw it was just Gala sitting up. The ex-monk blinked at him, and then started to put away his blanket.

"**It's unusually quiet..."** Vahn twitched at Gala's sudden comment, and looked up at the brunette as he stretched, standing next to the blunette. **"And you're on edge. Why?"** Vahn frowned, thinking a bit before he answered.

"**I'm not used to it being so quiet. This is when the night monsters are heading off to their nests and the day monsters aren't yet moving much. The lack of sound unnerves me."** Gala patted Vahn's shoulder and turned to tend to the fire.

"**It's always like this this early in the morning. Some monsters are smarter than others, though, so this is also the most dangerous time of night."** Vahn frowned at the warning, and listened as hard as he could, just in case there were some of those smarter monsters about.

Vahn walked around the perimeter of their camp again, turning to look as Noa finally woke up. Gala had started to warm up some of their trail rations to make them just a little more palatable. Vahn ate it mechanically, staring into the fire as Meta glowed, a sure sign that he was speaking. Neither Terra nor Ozma would tell the others what Meta was telling Vahn.

After a while, Vahn sighed and stood to kick dirt over the fire, effectively extinguishing it. Noa jumped to her feet and stretched, yawning, before looking around to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything, and then trotted off in the direction Terra pointed her in.

The sun was filtering in through the Mist from directly overhead by the time Vahn and the others saw the faint form of a building in front of them. Noa ran ahead despite the yells for her to be more careful, darting beyond the stone wall before the others.

"**Vahn! Gala! Look at all the Mist! It's coming from over there!"** As the two young men ran to catch up with the young girl, they found her standing several yards from an odd cylindrical chimney, pointing up towards the top. Gala looked up, and then around, seeing more of the strange chimneys.

"**It's a smokestack. Thick Mist is pouring out of it."** He jumped as Ozma glowed bright blue, and looked down at the Ra-Seru on his fist.

"**[That is where the Mist that engulfed Drake Kingdom comes from!]"** Now Terra started to glow blue, and the others turned to look as their Ra-Seru echoed the wind mistress's words to them.

"**[Now listen, Noa. This castle as caverns deep underground. Deep inside them is a Mist Generator! That's where the Mist is coming from!]"** This information of a clearer target seemed to make the redhead happy, and she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"**I'll destroy the Mist Generator! I want to get rid of all the Mist!"** Vahn and Gala both chuckled a little at her energy, though they were wary still of their surroundings. It wouldn't do for them to be killed here, so close to their target.

"**[You're a good girl. That's right, Noa. We have to destroy the Mist Generator!]"** Gala frowned for a moment as he realized the echo of Terra's words almost sounded desperate. Vahn simply looked to Meta as he started to glow. Unlike earlier, Terra and Ozma carried his words to the others.

"**[Once we reach the Mist Generator, we can stop the Mist with our Ra-Seru powers. But this is a vital castle to the enemy, and will be heavily defended. Proceed with caution!]"** All three of them nodded at that news. They didn't truly need to be told to be careful. Each of them was on edge, waiting for the Seru to swarm out of the door that lay before them.

Together, they turned and approached that door, which slid open to them as they came near, and they disappeared into the thick Mist that spilled forth.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera panted as she jumped back from an attack, sweat soaking the cloth that was tied over her eyebrows. She quickly had to hold up both of her tonfas to block a barrage of attacks, wincing as the shock of the attacks radiated up her arms. She twisted her hips and kicked at her opponent, only to have her shin connect with the hard wood of her opponent's weapon. She winced only briefly, and spun her left tonfa to strike, blocking with her right tonfa again.

"**Enough."** Shera stepped back a bit, lowering her arms and loosening her grip so that her tonfas hung loosely from her grip. She panted as she looked to the old man that had been teaching her, the monk that she'd been fighting doing the same. **"Shera, you keep hesitating. You don't strike at the vital points."** Shera made a half-bow to her teacher as he turned to the other monk. **"And you don't take the fight seriously. Your opponent is stronger than you give her credit for. All of your strikes are solely where she can block them. If you are to survive the world outside of the monastery, you must strike as if to kill."** Shera tilted her head to either side, her spine letting loose a satisfying series of pops.

Both the monk and their teacher winced a little as Shera turned her torso and leaned backwards to coax more pops from her spine, but neither said anything as she bounced on the balls of her feet, obviously feeling that she had loosened her muscles more.

"**Ready for some more, I see. Stances, both of you."** Shera slid into her stance easily, her tonfas resting with the lengths along her forearms. Her opponent fell into a similar stance, but bounced a bit, moving his arms with his tonfas.

Shera took a deep breath as she calmed herself, feeling the energy of the monk she was fighting. Her hands clenched on her tonfas and then relax, and she smirked for a moment as she felt the monk prepare for an attack. She lifted her right arm as he swung, the loud clack of wood on wood sounding.

Before the monk could recover, she had moved to kick his legs out from under him, lashing out with her left tonfa to block his wild attempt at an attack. As he landed, she knelt next to him, her right tonfa swinging to extend her reach, coming to a rest lightly on his throat.

The monk looked up at her with wide eyes, stunned at her sudden show of skill. Both fighters jumped as they heard someone clapping, and they turned to look at Kin, Shera letting her opponent up.

"**Well, at least one of my students took my advice to heart. You ceased to hesitate, Shera."** The young woman smiled and swung her tonfas to her sides before bowing in the manner she'd been taught. **"Though even I couldn't see when your opponent was about to strike."** Shera lifted a hand to brush her thumb over her nose.

"**I read his energy. It's fairly easy to predict, but it takes a good deal of concentration. I don't think I'll be able to manage that while traveling. I'd wear myself out."** Kin nodded, understanding why she'd said that. She was letting him know why she hadn't been trying to use it.

"**Anyway, I believe it is time for the midday meal."** Both of Kin's students bowed to him, obviously relieved that they were dismissed, and went out the door, Shera pausing to grab her new boots.

The women still in the women's bedroom fussed over Shera as soon as she slipped in, gasping over the bruises that she already had developing on her arms and legs. They knew that she had been training, but they didn't know that she would be trained like the monks were.

Shera was pointed towards a basin to clean herself up quickly, and she changed into her clothes, folding the clothes that had been leant to her by the monks to train in and setting them off to the side. Once that was done, she walked next door to the kitchen, and smiled at Maya as she saw her mother busy cooking.

A plate of food was set in front of Shera, and the hungry woman quickly dug in, being careful not to get any of it on her clothing. She turned down a second helping and simply sat off to the side of the kitchen, watching her mother work. She was the head of the kitchen, but she was gradually letting another woman take that place, likely getting her used to being in charge.

Kin soon came into the kitchen as well, preferring the fairly quiet hustle and bustle to the main dining room. He smiled as he saw that Shera had already eaten and was just resting there, and went to sit next to her.

The brunette winced as a bruise was prodded, and looked at her teacher out of the corner of her eye. He was looking mildly amused that she didn't yelp, and applied himself back to his food.

"**Master Zopu said that he thought it would be fitting for you to give a demonstration of fighting with the final meal of the day. I suggested to him that it would be best for you to rest for a day, first. You've already learned all that I have to teach about the tonfas. You're certainly a very fast learner."**

Shera blinked at that, not having expected that answer. She knew that she learned fast, but she hadn't thought that he'd be impressed by it. She was honestly expecting Vahn and the others to come back with her still learning from Kin.

"**You seem to be a natural at the tonfas, which is something I've never encountered before. Most take years to learn the sweeping blows that seem to come naturally to you. I suppose all I should have to teach you now are the tactics one uses with tonfas, against those with other weapons."** Shera looked interested at that. Few monsters actually carried weapons, but many had natural weapons that humans had mimicked.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Vahn panted as he finished off the hand-like Seru that Meta called Zenoir, and rubbed his bare forearm over his forehead. The underground caverns were a maze. They had encountered several dead ends already, and even Noa was running out of energy. Vahn couldn't help but wish that Shera was there to help them, even though he knew that she would be in even more danger than the rest of them.

"**That's the last of that batch."** Gala sounded winded, shoving his club into his belt. Noa was sitting against the wall, holding her left hand to a cut on her right arm. **"I think it wouldn't be amiss if we found a place to rest for the night."** Vahn nodded to that, and looked around. They had made their way down to the second basement quite some time ago; out of the seemingly bottomless cavern into the closed walls of the maze.

"**There's a door over here. Let's check in there and see if it's defensible."** Gala nodded to Vahn's observation and helped Noa to her feet, and walked up to the door.

Inside that room was a chest similar to the ones found where the Genesis Trees were worshiped, and a statue of Rem. Vahn frowned a bit at that, and looked around as he entered, but nothing seemed to appear to attack them.

"**A little too convenient, if you ask me."** Gala seemed to be thinking the same thing as Vahn. **"Doesn't seem to be a trap on the surface, though, so perhaps they're taunting us."** Noa darted to the chest and opened it without checking if there were any traps, which made both of the men tense with concern.

"**There's stuff in here, too!"** The redhead dipped her hand in and came up with some preserved healing items in a glass jar. **"What weird leaves! They look just like they were picked!"** Gala walked over to crouch next to the chest, leaving Vahn to watch the door.

"**There's a sword in here as well as some of those enchanted jewels."** Gala picked up one of the stones and frowned thoughtfully. **"...It's warm. How is it warm?"** Noa peered at the one that Gala held, and then grabbed a green stone from the bottom of the chest, squealing slightly.

"**It's got wind inside of it! Vahn, Gala, look!"** Gala turned his attention to the stone, looking bored for a moment, and then peered closer at it, a perplexed look crossing his face.

"**There does seem to be a small whirlwind inside of it. It's a Tempest Jewel. Those are more rare than the Deep Sea jewel that Shera has."** The ex-monk looked back to the jewel he held in his hand, squinting at it. **"And this, along with feeling warmer than any stone should, looks as though it is an ember."** That got Vahn's attention, and despite himself, he glanced away from the door.

Noa started to move all of the objects in the box into the satchel that one of the monks had given her, pausing when she found a book at the bottom of the box. She looked at it, and frowned at Gala as he plucked it from her hands.

"**You were holding it upside down, anyway."** Noa huffed at him and curled up against the side of the now-empty chest, her arms wrapped around the sheathed short sword that had been inside of it. She was soon asleep, even as Gala read the book by the soft blue light that Ozma gave off.

After what felt like most of the night, Gala dropped off to sleep, the book resting on his chestplate just under his chin, and Vahn gently shook Noa awake. The redhead was up instantly, only to be calmed as Vahn gestured that everything was alright.

Noa woke Gala after some time for his turn to watch, and then went back to sleep, the sound of the ex-monk's soft footsteps on the cold metal floor somehow easing her mind. The monk was still pacing slightly when she woke up again, and blinked at Vahn as he was snoring against the other wall. She stifled a snicker and moved over to wake him, giggling a little at his disoriented look.

"**Quiet all through the night, huh?"** Noa and Gala nodded, and Vahn frowned. **"I wonder if something scared them away from this room. We should be more alert from here on out."** Gala understood what Vahn meant and nodded, but Noa still looked a bit confused. Vahn didn't seem to be in the mood to explain to her, either.

Gala led the way, his eyes moving constantly as they walked, and Vahn took up the rear, and was the first line of their defense a few times as some Vera swooped down from the ceiling. After the third time, Ozma finally absorbed the powers of one.

Finally, the narrow hall opened up into a room, and all three of them looked around warily. Gala's attention snapped up to the rafters above them as a familiar voice taunted them. Vahn and Noa moved to either side of Gala, their attention on the man above them.

"**Ha, ha, ha! Here comes the army of idiots to save the day!"** Gala's expression darkened as he saw his one-time best friend. **"Oh? You seem to be missing one. No matter. Should you three fall, I'll track her down and end her misery."** Vahn growled slightly in the back of his throat at that, suddenly very protective of his childhood friend. Songi merely laughed. **"What courage! Perhaps idiots do not fear death! Oh, what comedy!"**

The redhead flipped from the rafter he was standing on to land lightly on his feet in front of the trio. Gala stepped in front of Vahn and Noa as they both slid into fighting stances, obviously fed up with Songi's attitude.

"**Vahn! Noa! Step aside. Leave Songi to me."** Vahn had to do a double-take to make sure that it really was Gala who was speaking, the monk sounded so furious. Noa's eyes actually widened, and she took a step back. The male redhead laughed at this, smirking arrogantly.

"**Gala! How forgetful you are! It is I who defeated you once before! Have you forgotten how much stronger than you I am?"** Songi gestured as though he were lamenting his old friend's sanity. **"You must be suicidal to fight someone as skilled as I am in the fighting arts. Oh, how pitiful! Your extreme stupidity brings tears to my eyes!"** The redhead shook his head and then slid into a fighting stance, a smug smirk on his face. **"Well, come on! I'll finish you quickly, so you'll feel no pain."**

Gala glared at him, and slid into his own fighting stance, taking a deep breath as he prepared to fight the man that had turned his back on the teachings they had been raised to follow. There was no turning back. He had once thought that Songi could be saved, but there was nothing worth saving in the sneering face before him.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera sighed as she stretched, her back popping a couple of times. She was in the training room that Kin had shown her to the day before, which was hardly ever used, according to him. Her legs and arms were covered in bruises, and she was stiff from the day before, but she didn't have much to do in the monastery aside from train. Unlike the monks, she didn't have to attend prayer. And unlike the women that Maya commanded, she didn't have chores to complete.

The door opening caught Shera's attention, and she sighed as she sat up, turning her head to look. She blinked as she saw Maya instead of Kin, whom she had been expecting. The green-haired woman simply sat against the wall to watch Shera stretch, and the brunette shrugged to herself before stretching out her legs.

Once she was stretched out, she started to go through the routine that Tetsu had taught her that didn't require exchanging blows with anyone. She eventually forgot that she had an audience, putting all her attention into striking at an unseen opponent.

She paused as she finished her routine, blinking as she heard two people clapping. She turned to look, and lifted an eyebrow at Kin and Maya. Kin looked very amused, and Maya simply looked impressed.

"**Any doubt that you weren't trained by Tetsu just disappeared. He created that pattern years ago. You go through it as easily as he did, last I saw him."** Shera rubbed the back of her head. The routine was a little challenging, as it used every part of the body.

"**I've gotten used to doing that every morning. It helps to get me limber to fight throughout the day."** Kin nodded, understanding. Shera smirked a little. **"As far as I can tell, the others don't stretch quite as much. Then again, they have Ra-Seru, and I don't."** Her voice sounded a little bitter at the end, and the brunette frowned. She didn't like being left behind.

"**And yet you are able to keep up with them. I have heard the monks speak more respectfully of you than of any of the others."** Shera blinked at him, a bit startled. She still wasn't used to people admiring her. In Rim Elm, all of the elders scowled at her, and the rest of the adults more or less ignored her as they all went about their business unless she was helping them with something. The younger ones were more likely to listen to the elders than the adults, so they tended to avoid her as well.

"**And knowing the elders of Rim Elm, they liked you none at all."** Maya had a slightly pitying look on her face. **"They didn't like me much, either. Oh, I don't doubt that they said nice things about me once the Mist came, but they hated the idea that I came to the Monastery every day to work."** Shera chuckled at the irony that the Village elders had said such good things of her mother once she was away from them.

"**And to think, they told me so many times to act more like you..."** Maya laughed at that, which made Shera grin to see her amused. Kin noticed that both of the women relaxed, feeding off of the amusement of the other.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Gala panted as he glared at Songi, his body aching, but refusing to bend. His rival wasn't uninjured either. Vahn and Noa, standing at the entrance to the hall, were standing stiffly, their hands on their weapons as they watched the two ex-monks fight. Both of the men had been aiming to maim, if not kill.

Songi stood straight after a moment, lifting a hand to rub away the trail of blood that slipped from the corner of his mouth. He sneered at Gala, and spat blood to the side.

"**I don't believe it! That Seru has made you much stronger than before! I am pleased! After all, a weak rival is so boring."** The man backflipped away from the others, still sneering at them. **"We both use Seru – That makes us comrades. So let's call our little meeting today a draw."** Much to the surprise of Vahn and the rest, Songi jumped straight up, landing on the rafters that he had dropped from. **"As a fellow Seru-user, I'll tell you something you should know. The lord of this castle, Zeto, is waiting for you all by the Mist Generator. Gala, be very, very careful, if you value your life."** Songi turned around to look down at them, his face hidden in the shadows. **"Don't lose to someone like Zeto. Farewell!"** Songi then turned and ran along the rafter. Gala stared after him for several seconds, a frown on his face.

"**Just what is he up to, anyway...?"** Gala's soft question went unnoticed by Noa, as she was bouncing up and down in anger. Vahn, however, noticed, and glanced at the ex-monk. The brunette shook his head before bowing it. **"My apologies for taking so long..."** Noa bounced in place again.

"**I don't like that Songi! I hate him! Next time he comes, I'll fight him, too!"** Gala turned to look at her, a small smile on his face in appreciation, though it made his lip crack again.

"**Yes, I suspect the day will soon come when we shall all have to fight him...All four of us."** Vahn glanced down, looking a little guilty. Gala knew that it was because of the fact that they had had to leave Shera behind. She was faster than Gala, more aware than Vahn, and had much more training than Noa did. She was an excellent balance, and one that they likely would need soon. Unfortunately, she wasn't with them. **"Now. Let's hurry. The Mist Generator awaits."**

Vahn and Noa nodded, and then trotted to catch up to Gala. Noa trotted ahead, taking point, and Vahn stayed behind him, guarding their back and making sure that the most tired of the three of them wasn't taken by surprise.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera brushed her fingers off on a napkin as she swallowed the last of her food, and glanced around the kitchen. No one had really noticed when she'd started to take her meals in the kitchen. Some of the monks around her age might have noticed if their teachers hadn't made sure that they were too busy to follow her around.

Shera yawned a little and slipped her dishes into the sink before slipping out of the kitchen. She padded quietly into the women's bedroom, and found the tub that was still filled with hot water. Maya had scolded Shera for wanting to bathe before eating, so Shera had eaten quickly.

The brunette sighed happily as the water eased the small aches in her muscles, and she tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling. She felt a little guilty, enjoying a hot bath while her friends were likely fighting for their lives. She sighed again, and sank in the water until just her nose was above the water.

She enjoyed spending time with Maya, but she really was wishing she could be with Vahn and Noa. She didn't completely trust Gala to keep the two of them out of trouble. Vahn still had problems with hesitating, and Noa didn't have enough training to make up for Vahn's confidence issues.

The door to the women's bedroom opening caught Shera's attention, and she turned her head. Maya poked her head around the screen, and then chuckled. Shera smiled a little at her, not moving from her bath.

"**I was wondering if you'd come back here. I didn't see you in the kitchen, and I saw you there just a few minutes before."** Shera smiled sheepishly, sitting up a little bit.

"**I was really wanting this bath, so I ate quick. I'd rather like to be relaxed and flexible for later."** Maya's smile faded a bit. Shera smiled a little at her and stretched, keeping her arms under the water. Her shoulders popped a little, and she sighed. **"Fighting is what I do, Mother...All the women in Rim Elm admitted that I had a distinct lack of skill in what the elders insisted women were supposed to do. Mei has all of those skills, not me. Mine lie in fighting. I'm passibly good at building, or so Father told me..."** Shera lifted a hand out of the water to rub her nose, as her eyes watched the ripples in her bathwater.

"**I know, dear...I just worry that you'll get hurt badly someday."** Shera looked up to flash a smile at Maya. The older woman couldn't help but smile back at her.

"**That's why I have to get better. So I can keep from getting hurt."** Maya sighed, and nodded. Her daughter had a point. The more skill she had, the less likely she was to come up against someone stronger than her.

"**Here, turn around. I'll wash your hair."** Shera smiled, and did as Maya asked, tucking her legs against her chest as her long brown hair dragged into the water.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Noa gasped as the trio entered the cavernous room that held the Mist Generator. There were two parts of it, each taller than a house, spinning around the central shaft. The Mist seeped from between the spinning sections and the shaft. Vahn and Gala paused to gape at the machine as well. Neither had ever seen anything so large.

"**[The Mist Generator is a machine that creates Mist and a product of humans' evil desires.]"** None of them really paid any attention to what Terra said. They were so overawed by the machine before them.

"**Can we really destroy something that big?"** Gala snapped out of his awestricken state to look down at his Ra-Seru, addressing the question to him.

"**[With our faith, Ra-Seru and humans can destroy this machine together!]"** Gala lifted an eyebrow at the energetic response, and then looked to Vahn as Meta glowed.

"**[This machine does not belong on earth. Let's go.]"** The fire Ra-Seru sounded almost...somber. Gala couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong. By the look on Vahn's face, he was wondering the same thing.

The three of them charged forwards, and skidded to a stop as light shone in front of them. Noa fell on her back, she'd stopped so suddenly, and Gala automatically fell into a fighting position, edging forwards to protect the young girl. As soon as she was back on her feet, she mimicked him, and smiled a bit before glaring at the figure that was rising out of a portal in front of the Mist Generator.

The figure was that of a broad-shouldered man, wearing fancy robes that drifted from his shoulders straight down. He had some strange-looking armor that was his Seru covering his shoulders, hands, and his head. The only part of his skin that was visible was his mouth, which was broad, thin-lipped, and pale.

"**This Mist is salvation. The Mist is eternal. The Mist is perfect harmony."** Vahn growled a little as he recognized the voice, his hands reaching for his short swords. He was now wearing one on either hip. He was clumsy wielding both, but he felt a bit better using a sword as a makeshift shield than Meta.

The man sounded like he wasn't in control of himself, as though there was something simply using his voice, and he himself wasn't even there. **"You should have accepted the Mist obediently. Instead, you resist so foolishly. I, Zeto, will now put an end to your futile resistance!"** Noa stepped forwards, anger clear on her face.

"**I know you. You're the one who bothered me at Mt. Rikuroa!"** She pointed her tonfa at the man, who slowly turned his armored head to regard her. **"You did those horrible things to Terra the wolf! I...I..."** Noa was shaking in her rage, and slammed her tonfa on the railing next to her, bending it a little, though the strike must have jarred her hand terribly. **"I'll make you pay!"** She dashed forward, and Vahn and Gala followed quickly, to make sure that she wasn't getting into too much trouble.

Zeto glowed, and they stopped. The Seru on him started to grow, and took another shape, completely engulfing the man it was bound to. Vahn growled a little as he recognized the shape as being similar to the crabs that were on the shore near Rim Elm. They would have to find chinks in the Seru's armor to damage it.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera took a deep breath as she settled into a ready stance, calmly studying the monk in front of her. After Gala and Songi had left, he'd taken over drilling the remaining monks, and he always had a scowl on his face when he looked at her. He was bigger than Gala, and as fast, though from what Shera had seen, he didn't have the skill of the smaller monk.

Zopu stepped between them, and looked between them. Shera looked past him, at the monk, but turned her head to acknowledge him. The monk turned his eyes to the elder automatically.

"**I want this to be a fair fight between the two of you. No crippling strikes."** Shera and the monk both nodded, but she could swear that she saw a frown at Zopu's orders.

The old monk stepped back, and the younger one turned his eyes back to the woman he was about to fight. Shera flexed her hands and then settled them into half-curled fists. She never fought with her hands clenched tight. The monk, on the other hand, held his hands stiffly. Even his joints were stiff.

"**Begin!"** Shera stayed where she was as Zopu shouted, though the monk charged at her. She instantly relaxed, one of her arms moving to deflect the punch the monk threw at her gut, turning as she did so. She redirected the monk's energy so that he landed flat on his back, and twined her arm around his to lock his arm in a painful position as she held her hand like a knife blade and set it against his throat.

Silence reigned in the room for a moment before the monks started to cheer for her. The one beneath her glared up at her, and she lifted an eyebrow at him as Zopu tried to get the audience to calm down.

"**You made the mistake of coming straight at me. I never take a direct blow. I use it against my opponent. Perhaps you should try to learn it. It would startle people."** The monk looked at her oddly for the advice, the glare disappearing as he realized she wasn't gloating.

She let him go and offered him a hand up, though she set her legs so that he couldn't pull her down. The monk smiled a bit at her, and accepted her help up.

"**Another go? I can see now that I underestimated you."** Shera grinned at the offer, and nodded. Zopu finally got the crowd to go quiet, and made sure that neither combatant was injured before announcing to the crowd that Shera had agreed to give the monk another try.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

**End Notes:** I sorta like having Shera off on her own. It makes it a bit easier to handle her personality and show how she's been growing. The next chapter wraps up the Mist Generator, so I'm getting closer to the second part of the game!

_**Read and review!**_


	11. Lonely Cloud

**Authoress' Notes: **I can't believe it's been so long since I last updated this story. I'm so sorry! Writer's block hit me pretty hard, and not just on this story. I was close to finishing a chapter for this story, at the very least.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Legaia. Not sure who that belongs to anymore, but it isn't me.**

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Chapter 10: Lonely Cloud

Vahn coughed a little as he shook water out of his hair, watching the fragments of what used to be Zeto float away in the Mist. He looked to Noa and Gala, seeing that Gala was tending to an injury on the back of his arm with Noa's help. The walkway they were on was slicked with water from Zeto's attacks, though the water was quickly flowing away.

What confused Vahn a bit was what Zeto had said before shattering. The man had served someone called Prince Cort. Who was that? There was no way to get the answer out of the man now.

Another glance towards Noa and Gala showed that the monk's injury was now tended to, and he was standing with one hand on a remnant of the railing. He looked a little pale still, from when he'd almost been thrown over it during the battle.

"**[Vahn! Noa! Gala! Are you ready to destroy the Mist Generator?]"** All three of them looked a bit startled at Meta's sudden urgency. The looked to the red glow on Vahn's right arm, and nodded. They turned towards the Mist Generator and walked towards it.

They each held up their Ra-Seru, reaching out towards the Mist Generator. Noa looked eager, determined to wipe out the source of the Mist that caused so much devastation. Gala was weary, just wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. Vahn was uncertain, having noted the desperation in Meta's mental voice. He didn't know if Gala had figured out exactly how desperate the Ra-Seru was, but Vahn could feel it.

The lights of the prayers each of the Ra-Seru carried shone, and soared upwards. The lights slid between the spinning sections, which slowly stopped, a grinding sound accompanying it. It then started to turn gray, like dust. After a moment, it started to crumble, shaking the platform they were on.

Vahn dropped to his knees to keep from toppling sideways, and Gala grabbed Noa's elbow as he did the same. The girl sat as soon as she could. Their eyes were wide as the dust flowed up to where they were. All three of them coughed hard until it settled, and looked at each other. Noa couldn't help but laugh, seeing the boys covered in gray dust. Her laughter was contagious enough that both of the boys couldn't help but smile a little.

The three of them stood and started to brush themselves off, having to use more than a bit of force to get some of it off. They didn't notice something small floating upwards from the rubble.

"**Amazing! The Ra-Seru are powerful enough to destroy that giant Mist Generator!"** Vahn nodded, and then looked at Noa as the girl looked at the Ra-Seru on her left hand, looking concerned.

"**Terra? Terra, are you sad? I can tell that you're crying."** The Ra-Seru glowed, but as the boys didn't hear any echo of her words, whatever the female Ra-Seru said was to Noa alone.

"**Let's just get going. We got rid of the Mist. That's enough for now. Let's get back to Shera, so she'll stop worrying."** Gala smirked a bit at Vahn's comment, and nodded, gently pushing Noa as the three of them headed back across the catwalk and through the underground castle.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera sighed as she sat down on the bridge on the south side of the monastery, looking up at the stars. It had been at least three days since Vahn and the other two left for the Mist Generator, and even the monks were starting to run out of things for her to do so she would stop worrying.

Earlier that day, a rumor had started that the Mist in the valley had started to thin. Then monks had started to say that it was too soon to tell if it was really thinning out or not. Shera hadn't gone to see for herself, and had instead gone for a twilight swim.

She was now drying off in the cool air, her hair sticking to her back as she picked out the constellations in the sky above. Her shirt was sitting on the stone next to her, along with her upturned shoes and stockings.

She turned her head as she heard someone open the door behind her, and blinked as she saw Maya. The woman smiled a little as she saw her, and draped a dry cloth across the younger woman's shoulders.

"**You'll get a cold if you dry like that. I understand you're worried, but you have to take care of yourself."** Shera smiled sheepishly at Maya, and stretched her legs out in front of her.

"**I was calming myself down, actually. I always feel better after a swim. If the rumors are right, and the Mist is starting to thin..."** Maya nodded, and looked up at the stars as well. Shera wrapped herself in the towel, and tucked her knees against her chest.

"**You know...Before the Mist came, if I had to stay here overnight, I would always come out to look at the stars, and pray to Tieg that my family would be large and happy. I was only able to bear one child, but I feel that that prayer was still fulfilled."** Shera looked at Maya, and smiled.

"**You'll be a bit sad to leave the monastery."** It wasn't a question so much as a statement. The green-haired woman nodded, and pointed up at the stars. Shera followed her gesture as her foster mother started to teach her the constellations. Tetsu had taught her some, but Maya knew many more than he had.

"**And there's...Oh, she's fallen asleep..."** Maya chuckled as she looked down at the slumbering brunette, and turned to look at the man that had been watching them from the door. Kin chuckled a bit.

"**She was working herself hard this morning. I'm not surprised she fell asleep."** He crouched and scooped the girl up, grunting with the effort. **"I think she's all muscle, though. She is **_**not**_** light."** Despite his respectable position in the monastery, Maya whacked his arm, a playful scowl on her face.

"**That wasn't nice, even if she can't hear you. Here, bring her to that training room she uses every day. I doubt that all of the girls combined could carry her."** Kin pretended that the blow had hurt, but nodded, and headed through the monastery.

Maya grabbed a blanket and a sleeping cushion and set up a temporary bed for Shera in the corner of the training room, where Kin set her. Maya couldn't help but smile fondly at the brunette, and then shooed Kin out of the room, both of them moving as quietly as possible as Shera settled into a deeper sleep.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Vahn sighed a little as he finally stepped through the door to the outdoors, and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath of fresh air. Noa and Gala did the same, Noa sighing with more relief than either of the boys. She'd started to comment that she was feeling sick on the way up because the air stank of dying Seru.

Gala looked up at the moon, and then looked around. **"The Mist has cleared a great deal. It should be all gone in a couple of days."** Vahn nodded to Gala's assessment, and looked around the area, before walking to a fallen smokestack where it met a wall, creating a niche that they could use.

"**We'll camp here for the night, and leave at dawn tomorrow. Hopefully Shera is being patient."** Gala and Noa both chuckled at that, and pulled out their camping gear as they walked towards where Vahn was putting his gear. **"I'll take first shift. Then Gala, then Noa."**

**~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~**

"**Shera..."**

The brunette sat up with a gasp, and looked around before she stood. She was in the dark again, in the dream that she'd had before. She glanced down at herself, and saw that she was in the simple tunic and trousers that she had preferred to wear around Rim Elm, as well as her old boots. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders.

"**Little sister..."** Shera jumped at that, and looked around almost frantically. She started to run, again feeling somehow that she was running north.

"**Brother! Where are you! Please!"** She shouted as loudly as she could, hoping that her words would reach him. **"Please, where are you? Deveeeeen!"**

Shera sat up with a gasp again, only this time she found herself awaking in the training room in Biron Monastery. She panted a bit, and wiped her forehead to find that she was covered in a cold sweat. She shoved her blankets to her ankles and leaned forwards, looking at her hands as they shook.

Why had that dream frightened her so much? It was the same one that she'd had in Drake Castle... And yet...She felt like staying here in Biron Monastery was exactly what she wasn't supposed to be doing. Had traveling really become so much a part of her already? She had always known that seeing more of the world than what lay within the walls of Rim Elm would change her, but...She hadn't realized it would happen so quickly. The quiet bustle of the monastery, and the louder one of the castle...It seemed so...drastic a change from Rim Elm, where everything moved slower, and was more peaceful.

The brunette shook her head, and looked around. She spotted her shirt nearby, spread out so that it would dry. She tugged it on and rolled up her cushion, setting it and the blanket in the corner. She then started to stretch, closing her eyes as she concentrated on banishing the shakes from her dream.

Kin found her soon, already putting her body through her normal routine. She didn't acknowledge him right away, breathing a little heavier than normal. When she finally saw him and stood easy, her hands shook a little.

Kin frowned a little at that, and shook his head a little. **"Working yourself hard first thing in the morning? Seems like that routine isn't the only thing that Tetsu taught you."** Shera shook her head a little, and sat, stretching her legs again.

"**Had a bad dream. I was trying to work out the shakes." ** Kin frowned a little at that, and sat down to stretch as well. He'd heard a couple of the older monks that had survived mutter about how Kin had taken such an interest in Shera. The tonfa master couldn't help but think that Shera would have to face trial by combat if she stayed much longer.

"**Some food would help as well."** Now that Shera would sit still, Kin could see the slight shadows in her eyes that hadn't been there the night before. **"I've gone to take a look at the valley where the Mist came from. It's thinning a great deal. Vahn and the others have succeeded."** Shera's shoulders relaxed slightly, and she sighed.

"**That's good. One less thing for me to worry about. That means they should be back in a couple of days."** Kin nodded, and watched as Shera folded herself almost in half, a couple of popping noises coming from her back.

"**Some of the older monks are unhappy that you're here."** Shera glanced up at Kin's abrupt change of topic. **"I've even heard some of them mention a trial by combat."** The brunette pursed her lips a little.

"**And the fact that I showed I can redirect the energy of any opponent doesn't help my chances of defeating them if they do decide on it."** Kin smiled. Shera was a smart girl, and was able to pick up on what wasn't said. **"Hm...I do still have something that they can't do, though."** Kin nodded. Of course Shera would remember her ability to sense the moves her opponents were about to make.

"**Yes. Some of them believe that it isn't even possible to do that."** Shera smirked at that as she sat up, and tilted her head from side to side.

"**Well, they'll have a surprise, then."** Kin nodded, and stood. Shera did the same, wincing just a little as her stomach growled. **"Hm...Food sounds good right now, though."** Kin grinned, and led the way out of the room.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Vahn panted as he killed the last of the Lippians that had decided to attack them, and allowed his swords to drag his hands to the ground as he fell to a knee. Noa summoned a Vera to heal him, and the welts from the creature's attacks faded.

"**Is it just me, or have they gotten stronger since the Mist started to fade?"** Gala shrugged to Vahn's question, and offered him a hand up as the blue-haired man sheathed his swords.

"**They've gotten more determined, at least. We've been traveling through the remnants of the Mist, so for all we know, they're panicking."** Vahn sighed a bit at that, and looked towards the Biron Monastery. It was nearing nightfall, and they were making decent time.

"**We'll be there soon enough. Just keep going."** Vahn nodded to Noa's comment, and cracked his neck before continuing to walk. A group of Gobu Gobus decided to attack them. After a few moments, the beasts beat a retreat, and Vahn sighed again.

"**Won't be soon enough. I don't think I've felt at ease since leaving Rim Elm."** Noa stretched her arms overhead with a groan, and started to sing softly, nonsense words that went well together. Vahn and Gala couldn't help but smile at how upbeat she was.

When they finally reached the monastery, Vahn was a bit concerned as he didn't hear anything from the northwest entrance. The farther they walked, though, the more they heard a fuss in the main hall. Gala frowned and trotted forwards, and stiffened as he saw what was happening.

Shera stood in the center of a group of older monks, her eyes closed and her stance relaxed. As Vahn and Noa walked up to Gala's side to see what had caught his attention, one of the buffer monks surrounding Shera moved towards her.

Shera moved to send the monk flying over her shoulder without opening her eyes, and then deflected a kick from another monk over her head before lunging towards a third, slamming the heels of both her hands into his exposed stomach as he tried to take advantage of an opening from behind. A fourth was treated to a sweeping kick as Shera turned, dropping to the ground to dodge his kick as the first and third monks recovered. The second tried a hammer kick down onto her, only to find that she caught the kick as she stood, and sent him spinning with a flick of her wrists before turning to backhand the first in the gut hard, sending him to the floor with a gasp for air. The fourth and the second monk were soon circling around the woman again, both of them glaring at the woman who settled back into her ready stance.

"**What's going on?"** Vahn was tense, and only Gala's hand on his shoulder kept him from lunging in to help Shera. The monk's eyes were wary, watching the fight.

"**Trial by combat. Six or seven monks surround either an errant monk or a visitor that they don't like. If the one challenged succeeds in disabling all of the challengers, they're in the right."** Vahn stared at Gala. **"I've seen it only once before, when I was young. These monks must really dislike Shera."**

As Gala spoke, the two monks that Shera hadn't knocked the breath out of lunged towards her again. One attacked her low, and the other attacked high. The girl flipped onto her side, planting a hand on the ground on the other side of the lower kick, flicking a foot up to slam into the head of the monk that was attacking high. That monk fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.

"**Where did she learn how to fight like that?"** Noa's eyes were wide as she watched the brunette fight, her braid moving as if it were a shadow, showing where she had just been.

"**Master Tetsu taught her how to fight against multiple enemies, but...I thought she was bad at that. She always ended up winded from a blow to her stomach from someone."** Gala glanced at Vahn, then back at Shera.

"**Perhaps she's learned much more than you expected."** Shera stood easy, turning to face her last opponent, and then slid back into her ready stance, her hands curled loosely as she took a deep breath. Her eyes remained closed, though her hands looked a bit red, as though she'd struck some blows with them and her skin wasn't quite rough enough to bear those blows with ease.

The final monk hesistated, as though he wasn't sure that he'd be able to defeat Shera without the help of his fellows. There were already five monks that had to be dragged a short distance out of the way to catch their breath or to wake. He then yelled loudly as he charged towards the girl, swinging down from his left as a feint before kicking with his right. Shera ignored the feigned punch, and slipped under his kick a little before catching it, and lifted his leg before spinning, kicking his other leg out from under him.

Shera's eyes opened, then, and she stared down at the red-faced monk, her foot planted on the leg that she wasn't holding in the air. **"Yield."** The monk growled, and Shera pushed on the leg she was holding a little. The monk flinched with pain.

"**I yield."** Shera stepped off of the monk's leg and dropped the other, turning to press her knuckles together to bow to Zopu, who was trying to hide a smile.

"**The trial by combat has ended. Shera is victorious."** Zopu's eyes found Vahn and the other two standing in the doorway, and smiled broadly. **"And the Ra-Seru heroes have returned."** Shera turned, lifting a hand to wipe sweat from her forehead, and smiled lopsidedly at Vahn, who smiled back at her.

Vahn sighed a bit as he walked into the room, the tension he'd felt while watching Shera fight fading. He hadn't watched her just fight recently. She was much better than he remembered. He had seen Tetsu fight like that before, but only for a few moments. He said that it took a lot of concentration to fight like that, even against children. Shera had just fought several full grown men that had been fighting much longer than she had, judging by their age.

"**My friends are likely exhausted from their journey. Perhaps all the questions we have for them should wait until they have rested?"** Shera looked to Zopu as she spoke, and the old monk couldn't help but smile. Since she had proven that she was as good as any monk at fighting, she was free to voice her opinion. Those who won a trial by combat were considered honorary monks, even if they were female. It had happened only once before, and the tale was now considered legend amongst the monks. Shera would likely be joining that woman in legend soon enough.

Zopu nodded, and the monks groaned a little. They had been looking forward to a hastily planned party. Kin walked over to Shera and smiled at her as he clapped her on the shoulder. One of the monks that hadn't been fighting walked over to Vahn and Gala, and led them to the room that had been set aside for them. Noa was swept away by women, and Shera was ushered off with Kin for a cool-down.

Zopu watched as the hall emptied, and chuckled to himself. Many monks had forgotten that a woman was often just as dangerous as a man. Even though they had seen Shera fight before, the six monks that had announced a trial by combat at lunch had underestimated her. Though even Zopu had been surprised when Shera had relaxed and closed her eyes at the very beginning of the match. Unless he was mistaken, Shera was a natural fighter.

No monk had ever managed to so easily tap into the energies of everything around them. Tetsu had had to purify himself when he had first discovered the technique just to use it for a few moments. It was possible that the wayward monk had taught Shera the basics, but the girl had taken it much farther than anyone else.

Kin had commented that her skill with the tonfas bordered on instinctual, as well. The monks had demanded an unarmed fight because they knew Kin had been training her. They hadn't counted on her experience in the real world. She'd had more than a little experience with fighting multiple enemies. Usually Vahn took one, but when he hadn't noticed, she proved herself to be handy. She had mentioned as much to Zopu while talking about their journey when they first arrived.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera yawned as she walked into the women's bedroom, and smiled a bit as she saw that Noa was already out cold. She smiled at her friend before laying on her own bed. She was also soon asleep, much to the amusement of the women. Both seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Shera woke with a start in the morning.

"**Are you alright? Dear, you look like you saw a ghost."** Shera looked to Maya, who was packing her things, and rubbed the back of her head, forcing herself to breath slower and willing her heartbeat to slow.

"**Just...a bad dream. I've been having them lately. I thought it was because I was worried about Vahn and the others, but..." ** Shera shook her head a bit and started to look for a brush. Maya found one for her and started to brush the brunette's hair. Shera sat contentedly to allow her to do so, her eyes scanning around for her own pack.

"**I packed your things already. You didn't have too many, so I supposed it was alright."** Shera nodded, and sighed as she felt Maya start to braid her hair.

"**I'll have to get some supplies for the trip to Rim Elm. It shouldn't take more than a day, going across the river, now that the water gate is closed. Still...Do you want to bring some bread or something to eat on the way there?"** Maya tugged on Shera's braid to let her know she was done, and the brunette turned to look back at her.

"**I've packed food already, silly."** Shera blushed a bit, and rubbed at her nose at her mother's forethought. **"And it's still before dawn, so we can leave as soon as you're awake."** Shera smiled at Maya, and stood.

"**I'm going to need to stretch first. Maybe Vahn will be up by the time we leave."** Maya smiled at Shera, and watched as she walked out of the room, still wearing the trousers and shirt that she'd fallen asleep in.

The green-haired mother smiled a little before setting out Shera's armor, new boots, and a fresh pair of trousers and shirt. A pair of stockings were donated by one of the women that were starting to move around.

Shera came back in a few minutes, and smiled at Maya as she changed into the fresh outfit, carefully bundling her dirty clothing separate from her clean clothing. She cracked her neck before putting her armor on, and tapped on it with a fist as Maya looked at it dubiously.

"**It's helped me more than once already, Mother. Mei made it for me. She's the best seamstress in Rim Elm."** Maya couldn't help but beam at that information, and held Shera's boots as the woman pulled her stockings on. Noa sat up with a yawn as Shera started to lace her boots up, and blinked at the brunette.

"**I thought we were gonna rest for a while..."** Shera grinned at Noa, and bounced a little in her boots to test them. Noa rubbed at her eyes and yawned again.

"**You, Vahn, and Gala are staying to rest up. I'm taking my mother back to Rim Elm. Tell Vahn and Gala for me?"** Noa blinked at Shera before frowning as the woman picked up her belt and put it around her waists, hooking her tonfa into it.

"**But...All the way to Rim Elm? By yourself?"** Shera sent a small smile to Noa.

"**It's not that far, really. We'll be there by nightfall. It'll take sooner to get to Rim Elm than to Drake Castle."** Noa blinked, still frowning, but finally nodded, showing that she'd tell Vahn when she saw him.

Maya picked up her bag and slung it onto her back, and followed Shera out the door. They paused at the front door as someone shouted Maya's name, and Shera smiled as she saw many of the monks standing there, waving to them. Shera caught a glance of Gala at the back, looking a little pained. Maya waved to them all, and Shera lifted a hand.

The two women started to walk, heading along the bridge before turning to the south, heading towards Rim Elm. Gala stepped out of the monastery to watch them, only turning away when Zopu stepped out to call him in.

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Vahn yawned as he stepped into the kitchen and blinked as he saw Gala looking mildly serious sitting at the table. The ex-monk lifted a hand in greeting, picking at his food with his other hand. Vahn sat down next to him, and thanked the woman that set a plate of food in front of him.

"**Shera and Maya left at dawn."** Vahn almost choked on his first bite of food, and waited until he was breathing normally again to turn to look at Gala. **"Noa says that Shera's confident that they'll be in Rim Elm by nightfall."** Vahn sighed a little, and ate a bite of his food as he closed his eyes, mulling over what he was going to say.

"**Shera should be right. The distance to Drake Castle is greater than the distance to Rim Elm, with the river low. And Maya used to travel that distance every day, back when the king's army kept the monsters at bay."** Gala closed his eyes with a sigh, and pushed his plate away, his food half-eaten.

"**I'm going to go meditate out on the bridge."** Vahn blinked at Gala, and frowned a little. Something was bothering the ex-monk.

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Shera yawned as she and her mother reached Hunter's Spring just before the sun was overhead, and smiled as she saw the astonished looks at some of the hunters that were resting there for a moment. She lifted a hand to wave to them as she and Maya entered the gardens around the fountain.

"**Shera! And Maya! Tieg be praised, the elder said that you would be dead by now."** Shera grinned lopsidedly, and nodded to Lezam in acknowledgment.

"**I'm able to fight as well as any man now, you know. It's been proven by the Biron monks."** The hunters gaped more. Maya found a sitting spot along the fountain, and took out the bread that one of the women at the monastery had made. Shera walked over to sit next to her, and the hunters followed, taking out their own lunches.

"**So where is Vahn? Tetsu and Mei both said that you went chasing after him."** Shera chewed the bite of sausage that one of the hunters had shared with the women, and waited until she'd swallowed it before answering.

"**He's resting at the Biron Monastery. He and two companions we picked up went to the source of the Mist in the Drake Kingdom and destroyed it. The other two have Ra-Seru as well."** The hunters lifted their eyebrows at that, and more than one glanced at Shera's bare forearms. She smiled wryly, knowing why. **"I'm still fighting solely with my own strength. Which makes the fact that I passed a Biron trial by combat all the more impressive, apparently."** More than a few hunters choked on their food, and Shera smirked past her bite impishly.

Maya rolled her eyes at Shera, and finished up her roll before brushing her hands clean and accepting some cheese from a hunter. **"It didn't help that the men that challenged you were always a bit stuck up. They needed someone to set them on their backs like you did."** Shera smiled at her mother, and pulled her wooden cup out of her pack, dipping it into the fountain and sipping it.

"**It wasn't all that easy, though. I had to concentrate hard to keep track of all of them."** Maya blinked at Shera's humility. **"The technique that I used is pretty hard to keep going."** The brunette lifted her leg and swatted some dirt off of her boot.

"**You've improved so much since leaving Rim Elm? Really?"** Shera smiled at the hunter that spoke. She shrugged one shoulder, and a dull popping sound came from under her armor.

"**I was allowed to fight at my own speed, since Vahn's finally increased thanks to Meta. And fighting against the same people over and over again really doesn't help to get better. It just helps you against those people. I've fought plenty of things since leaving Rim Elm, and not just people."** The hunters blinked at Shera, their eyes widening as the woman inspected one of her tonfas by touch to test for any cracks as she held her cup in her other hand.

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"**No, Vahn, like this."** The blue-haired man sighed with frustration as Gala corrected his form once again. Noa was training a bit with Kin, hoping to get better like Shera had. The blue-haired man was more than a little distracted, spacing out often and looking frustrated until his Ra-Seru glowed to calm him down.

Gala had suggested that they train to keep their minds off of Shera and Maya, but he was starting to regret it because Vahn was being so difficult. Noa was a bit distracted, herself, but was doing better than Vahn was.

"**I...I need to walk around a bit. I'm sorry, but I just can't concentrate."** Gala sighed as Vahn walked out of the room, and turned to watch Noa as Kin continued to teach her the basics of using the tonfa the girl had.

Noa was picking it up quickly, but she wasn't the natural at it that Shera was. Kin was teaching her how to use it in her off hand like a shield, catching blows that she wouldn't catch with Terra.

Gala was also too distracted to work on his own problems, and left the training room to walk to the western exit. As he thought, Vahn wasn't there. As far as the ex-monk knew, he was staring south at Rim Elm, wondering where his friend was.

Gala spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on top of the tunnel, looking northward. It was only when one of the elders came to get him that he realized the sun had set.

The dining room was quiet, as most monks had eaten already. Gala sighed. He was like a stranger to most monks now. Most of his old friends didn't even acknowledge him anymore, though more did at least smile at him as they passed, thanks to his part in clearing the Drake Kingdom of Mist.

He felt like a stranger in his own home.

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**End Notes:** A bit of a shorter chapter than normal, but just a touch. I'd like reviews to see how well I'm pacing the story. It's tempting to just rush through all the events, but then there wouldn't be the character development that made me fall in love with the game. I've been trying to capture the essence of the game in the story, even if I have to flesh it out just a little more than it initially was.


	12. Dark Horizon

**Authoress' Note:** So, I apparently have some impatient readers. XD Not that I mind. I sometimes need a nudge to remind me to get working on it again. This has been sitting around for a while, and I might be getting off the next chapter of the Tears story as well.

On another note, I've got a good deal more on my plate. Class has been absorbing most of my time and making my brain fizzle because I can't think in terms of computer progamming easily. Add into that that work is picking up slowly, I have less and less time to write.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia. I have added a great deal to the story to make it more engrossing, and I claim those minute details ONLY.

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Chapter 11: Dark Horizon

Shera smiled as she spotted the crumbled walls of Rim Elm, and tucked one of her tonfas into her belt to place her fingers in her mouth and whistled loud. A woodsman whirled around from where he was just inside the gate, and Shera waved a tonfa over her head, grinning widely. The woodsman waved back, and turned to shout into the village. Shera turned to look at Maya as the woman said her name, and paused.

"**The wall...It's as Vahn said. Rim Elm was attacked?"** Shera nodded her head, glancing around to make sure they weren't about to get ambushed.

"**The Mist hasn't come near since then, though. You...may be surprised by how few people are left. There have been deaths every year since I arrived. Most are hunters, and a few have been fishermen or children that just didn't listen. There aren't too many women in the village anymore. And fewer still that are of childbearing age."** Maya frowned at Shera's observation, but didn't say anything as they continued to near the village.

"**And the young men?" **Shera sighed a bit, with a hint of aggravation in the sound. Maya couldn't help but smile, guessing what it was for. Shera herself was of an age where she could have been married to someone and having children already.

"**Even fewer. Mei and I have resisted the Elder's suggestions that we pick a man and settle down. I think those suggestions were directed more towards me than towards Mei, though."** Maya couldn't hide her laugh, and got a tired glance from Shera for it. **"They just don't seem to understand that I'm a warrior before I'm a woman. Master Tetsu even mentioned that when I hit puberty."** Maya smiled fondly at Shera and brushed a hand over her braid.

"**You must have felt horrible, not fitting in with the rest of the village."** Shera blinked at Maya, looking a bit startled. **"When I was young, I at least had the option of leaving the village for another, or heading to the castle. A few young women did because the elders pressed them too hard. Perhaps they thought that because of the Mist, they could press the matter as much as they wished and naught would come of it."** Shera chuckled dryly at that, and looked at the woodsman that was now gaping at the two women, recognizing them.

Shera propped her occupied hand on her hip and lifted an eyebrow at the man, then transferred the vaguely amused look to the people gathering around the wreckage of the gate.

A familiar green-haired young woman pushed her way through the crowd, and stopped short just in front of it, her skirt swaying with how quickly she had stopped herself. Shera grinned widely and waved to her sister, unable to stop the feeling of pride that washed through her. She'd proven not just to herself, but to the village, that she could take care of herself.

The smile faded as she saw a familiar wrinkled face. She stiffened a little, though much of it relaxed as Maya pressed a hand on Shera's upper arm. The brunette glanced at the grown woman, and tried to wipe away the frown that was creasing her own face.

The elder was frowning as well, though he didn't bother to hide it. Maya noticed how once the resident monk of the village worked his way through the crowd, Shera's face lit up the way a child's would when they spotted a parent that they knew would be sympathetic to the trouble they were about to be in. The woman chuckled a bit under her breath. Juno had help while raising Shera for sure.

Shera and Maya stopped a yard in front of the crowd, with Maya smiling fondly at the daughter that was keeping herself from lunging forwards to hug both her sister and her mother. Shera was standing in a position that Tetsu recognized as a resting stance, feet as wide apart as her shoulders with her tonfas hanging down on either hip with her hands clasped loosely together in front of her.

"**So you've thought to come back."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at the elder's scathing words, her eyes cool as she regarded the old man. There was a slight tremble to his voice that she didn't remember ever hearing before, and a greater tremble to his hands. She hadn't realized just how old he was before. He had been a hunter when Maya was born, she realized with a slight start. He really was the oldest person in the village.

"**I guided Mother back to the village. Vahn is safe, resting in Biron Monastery from his battle to rid Drake Kingdom of the Mist."** A murmur went up through the crowd, and Shera bit her cheek a little to keep from smiling at the surprise in the elder's face. **"I was not allowed by him to follow him there, so I volunteered to guide Mother home."** Another murmur went through the crowd, likely because of how confident Shera was in front of the elder now.

"**And I presume you will be leaving the foolishness of battle behind now that you've seen what it is like in the real world?"** A secret little smile crossed Shera's lips, though her eyes froze.

"**No. I will be keeping my promise to my sister, and will rejoin Vahn and our two companions tomorrow. I have found that battle suits me."** The elder glared at the girl that was declaring her intentions of doing as she pleased. **"I will be staying the night only. Vahn and the others will be anxious to start out for the Sebecus Islands, and I will not delay them more than I can help."** Shera had shifted her eyes to Mei, and her stormy eyes had softened.

Mei lurched forwards to hug Shera and Maya, only to stop as the elder's slender arm swung out in front of her. When the old man turned back to look at the travelers, he found that they both were staring at him with anger in their eyes. Behind the elder, Tetsu scowled, his stare boring into the back of the old man's balding head. Shera in particular looked unhappy.

"**Are you really sure you want to meddle with my family?"** Shera's voice was soft, and her hands hadn't moved, but there was a certain amount of coldness in her eyes that no one there had seen before, as if she could easily see him lying on the ground, choking on his own blood. It was the same look she had regarded Songi with when she'd first seen him in the forest.

She wouldn't actually attack the old man, but she figured that a warning that she wasn't the young woman he had forbidden to hunt just a few weeks past wouldn't go amiss. Besides, Tetsu was giving the old man much the same look from behind.

The village elder huffed and turned to head back into the village, and stopped as he saw the intense stare pointed towards him by the resident monk. Tetsu didn't move, making the elder have to walk around him. Only then did the monk move to greet his best student, who was stumbling a bit at the force of her sister's hug.

Maya laughed a bit at how enthusiastic Mei's greeting had been, and ran her fingers through the hair of the girl that looked so much like her. The young woman then latched onto her mother, making Shera laugh a bit as she brushed herself off. The brunette blinked up at Tetsu as he placed a hand on her shoulder, and ducked her head as she felt him ruffle her hair.

"**You move like a true warrior now."** Shera was blushing a little at Tetsu's compliment as she lifted her head again, one callused hand brushing her bangs back into place.

"**She survived a trial by combat, Tetsu."** Shera's blush grew more at Maya's information, and she watched as most of the villagers left. Ixis was still around, though he avoided looking at her, scratching the back of his head. She didn't see the impressed look on Tetsu's face.

"**Truly?"** Shera turned her head to look at Tetsu as she felt his hand pat her shoulder again. **"Hm. Yes, you do seem to be reacting to things faster than before."** Shera shrugged her shoulder and started into the village.

"**That may be, but it makes me more tired."** Shera met Ixis's eyes as she passed him, and flinched a bit as a gurgling sound filled the air. **"And it makes me hungrier."** Everyone that had heard started to laugh, much to the brunette's chagrin.

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Vahn growled as he dropped the wooden swords he was training with, his hands too numb to grip them easily. He was all alone in the training room, and only a single torch was lit to allow him to see. Gala and Noa had gone to eat supper already, but the blue-haired man was still far too distracted to even think about eating.

"**[Vahn, you must rest. You've been pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion. You will be of no use when Shera returns if you keep this up.]"** Vahn took a deep breath as Meta glowed, and sat down hard as his legs wobbled. He suddenly realized that he was drenched in sweat and panting hard.

The Ra-Seru hero jumped as he felt someone grab his upper arm to help him up, and turned to see Gala there. The ex-monk smiled a bit wryly, and nodded towards the torch next to the door. It was dead, not even smoke rising from it anymore.

"**I-I thought..."** Vahn winced mentally as he heard his own voice. It was rough, like he had been yelling for hours. **"Thought that would last me a while..."** Gala grunted a little in amusement, slinging the thinner man's arm over his shoulders.

"**It did. Most everyone's gone to bed already."** Vahn blinked at that, aware that his astonishment was clear on his face. **"Master Zopu suggested that we let you work out your anxiety, but...That'll do you no good, really."** Vahn sighed at Gala's observation, and chuckled dryly.

"**Meta was just telling me the same thing, really."** The blue-haired one coughed a bit, and cleared his throat, feeling the scratchiness that refused to fade.

"**Then perhaps you should follow his suggestion. There's a roll from supper and a flask of water in our room. I figured that if you'd been training like that, you'd have forgotten all about eating."** Vahn nodded his thanks as the ex-monk helped him down the hall. His legs really weren't listening to him.

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Shera sighed as she set aside her bowl, contentment filling her. Many of the meals she'd had on her journey were indeed tasty, but nothing beat Mei's fish stew. There was something...nostalgic about it. The brunette hadn't even complained about having to wait a bit so that Mei could make some out of some salted fish that everyone made in case of a food shortage.

Shera, Mei, and Maya were sitting on the bluff just in front of their house. Shera had mentioned that she preferred the outdoors after traveling so long, and Mei had giggled before suggesting that they eat outside. It was a nice night, anyhow.

They hadn't talked much about the traveling they had done, much to Shera's relief. She really didn't want to explain to either woman what it was like to fight for her life, and she really didn't want to explain how she had learned that she could hate someone with her whole heart. Maya in particular would be hurt.

"**So you're going to leave in the morning, Shera?"** The brunette turned her head to look at Mei, and sighed a little, leaning back a little to look up at the twilight sky overhead.

"**Yes. I can't slow their progress. We don't have any idea when the journey will end, so we need to keep moving as much as possible."** Maya sighed a little, and Shera smiled sadly at her. **"I made a promise to Mei, Mother, and I keep my promises. I promise you that I'll come back safely once we're done."** Maya reached over to tug Shera into a hug.

"**Dear one, more than anything, I want you to be happy. If that means allowing you to battle, so be it."** Shera blinked at Maya, knowing that her surprise was clear on her face as Mei giggled. Maya smiled gently at her, and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face.

The woman was glad that Shera no longer tensed when she was embraced. She wasn't sure if it was because of the area, or whether she just felt she was able to relax because she saw that her sister was safe.

"**Shera, the only one who can't see how your face lights up when you're fighting is the elder. Ixis commented the other day that you looked more alive during that night the Wall fell than he'd ever seen you before."** Shera blinked at Mei, her eyes still wide. The slightly older girl realized then just how young her sister actually was.

The brunette was maybe a year younger than Vahn, and everyone, including her, seemed to always forget that. Mei had always noticed that she was mature for her age, and sometimes was found with her nose in a book if she wasn't training. A year before the wall was destroyed, she'd read every book on the village, and was upset that she didn't have any access to any new ones. As far as Mei could remember, she'd always been looking for something new to learn.

"**Dear, you, out of all the people I have ever met, have a need to learn, and you will never learn all you want to here."** Shera bowed her head a bit, and leaned into Maya's embrace. **"Mei won't even be alone now, with me here."**

The sound of someone walking past a bush next to their house made Shera's head snap up, and Maya blinked at the sudden reaction before giggling. Mei giggled as well, and the green-haired boy that had made Shera snap to attention cringed a bit, holding up his hands to show that he was unarmed.

"**Shera, you're as jumpy as ever."** Shera sighed a bit and all three women stood, Mei and Maya taking the dishes into the house. The young man rubbed the back of his head, looking away from the brunette.

"**So how has Mei fared without me around?"** Ixis blinked at Shera as the brunette looked to him, a calm look in her eyes. He looked up at the sky as the first stars started to glint through the deep blue.

"**She's worried about you quite a bit, but...I think she's done fairly well. I've been doing all the chores that you'd have done for her. My mother will sometimes come over to help, as well as Nene. I know she's been lonely, though..."** Ixis turned to look at the house that Mei and Maya had entered into. **"I've spotted her looking towards the gate on occasion, as if she expected to see you and Vahn coming back."** Shera sighed a bit and ran her fingers through her bangs again, walking to the ledge next to her house. Ixis followed.

"**She's done better than I thought, then. The elder hasn't given her any grief?"** Ixis shook his head, and trailed after her. **"Mm. Good."** The brunette sighed, and linked her fingers at the base of her neck. **"Maybe Mother's right...Rim Elm seems so...tiny now."** Ixis blinked at Shera, and then blinked again as she turned to look at him. **"What do you think? Am I more suited to travel than to stay here?"**

Ixis really had to think on that one. She had never really fit in with the villagers in Rim Elm, and hadn't really even been born there. Still, this was the place that the elder said she should stay. And yet...

"**I...I think you are better suited to traveling. Before you left, you always seemed angry about something. When I saw you walking back, you seemed...calmer. I think Rim Elm is too small for you. The elder has been holding you back since you first arrived. With how much energy you have, staying here and doing as your told would drive you insane."** Shera snorted a little at Ixis's point, and looked towards the sea.

"**If only the elder could see that. But he's old, and set in his ways. You wouldn't believe some of the things I've seen...Being so far from the ocean...It's hard. I've grown so used to the sound of the waves that it's been hard to fall asleep without it. Vahn even commented that the longer we were away from the ocean, the more irritable I became."** Ixis blinked as Shera sighed a little, wondering how she'd become so relaxed around him.

"**Just how far have you gone?"** Shera glanced at Ixis again, and chuckled. Apparently his question was worth the laughter.

"**Vahn and I traveled past Drake Castle, and up the sacred mountain Rikuroa."** Ixis blinked as Shera unlinked her hands and tugged up the hem on her left leg. **"That's where I got this scar."**

Shera looked levelly at Ixis as he gaped at the white scar that marred her left leg, a wry smile on her face. It was shaped like a long, upside down 'u', with the unconnected ends currently hidden under her boot.

"**Th-that...Must have been so painful."** Shera chuckled again, and looked up towards the sky, her eyes finding a constellation that Maya had taught her.

"**It did. It hurt so bad that I didn't even notice it at first."** Ixis paled, remembering that Tetsu had told them once that the most dangerous wounds were the ones that the injured could not feel. **"Vahn was able to heal it to the point where I could walk with help, though. With him healing it, I was only limping for a couple of days."** A set of soft footsteps made Shera blink and look towards where Tetsu was walking towards them.

"**And while she was at the monastery, she was able to survive a trial by combat. The second woman ever to do so, if I recall correctly. And from what Maya told me, you did so handily, Shera."** The brunette blushed a little and scratched at the back of her head.

"**It was either defeat them, or end up so badly injured I wouldn't be able to travel. None of those monks were pulling their punches. I suppose it helped that I was able to get a better control over that technique you taught me."** Tetsu lifted an eyebrow as Shera mentioned a technique, and then both as he realized which one she was talking about.

"**You learned to harness that one already?"** Shera nodded, and rotated one shoulder with a slight grimace. **"I'm impressed. How long could you stand it?"** Shera smiled a bit as she thought, seeming to be a little sheepish.

"**About two minutes straight. I had a massive headache afterwards, though."** Tetsu simply blinked, shock on his face. **"I didn't stop using it until I had the last one in a position where I could force him to yield."** Now Ixis gaped. Shera had always been bad at fighting more than one person at a time, and she'd beaten six experienced monks in two minutes?

"**I feel so incredibly outclassed..."** Shera and Tetsu both looked to Ixis, confused looks on their faces. **"I always thought that Shera was horrible at some things, and it turns out she just didn't have the techniques she needed. Whereas me..." **Ixis sighed, and Shera tilted her head to the side with a smirk.

"**Whereas you just need to convince yourself that you can do the same."** Tetsu stifled a chuckle as Ixis blinked at Shera now. **"Anyhow, I should be heading to bed. I have to do a lot of walking tomorrow."** The brunette sent a cheeky smile towards the other two and slipped through the door to where her sister and mother were.

"**I don't think she realizes just how remarkable her progress has been..."** Ixis looked to Tetsu, blinking at the monk as he looked at the door. **"It took me three years of training simply to be able to use that technique for just a few seconds, and she was able to use it for two minutes with fewer years of training."**

The two men exchanged good-nights, and headed to their respective residences, much on their minds. Shera, meanwhile, was sprawled on her bed in the loft, with her armor piled next to her, fast asleep. For the first time in quite a while, she was able to sleep easy, the sound of the waves lulling her to a dreamless sleep.

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Vahn sighed, sitting on the bridge in front of Biron Monastery. The skies above him were threatening to rain, and he still couldn't see any sign of Shera. Gala was trying to train Noa, but the girl was being stubborn and distractable, as usual. Meta was surprisingly quiet, leaving Vahn alone with his thoughts.

"**Vahn."** The bluenette jumped a little, and turned to look up at Master Zopu. **"It's noon. You should come eat."** The young man hesitated for a moment, and then stood, glancing over the plains again. If Shera was indeed walking towards them, she was too far away to be spotted yet.

The noise of the main dining room was almost deafening as the two passed it on the way to the kitchen, and Vahn peeked in. In the middle of the fuss were the six monks that Shera had defeated. They all looked a bit red in the face, more than likely because they were getting ribbed for their loss.

Gala glanced up as Vahn and Master Zopu entered, and looked back at his stew, poking at it a bit with his fork and trying to hide his emotions on his face. Noa had apparently been there and gone, seeing as there was an empty bowl.

Vahn ate the stew that was set in front of him slowly, his eyes on the grain of the table as he thought. He was finding it hard to distract himself from worrying about Shera.

"**No sign of her yet?"** Vahn glanced to Gala, and shook his head mutely. Ozma glowed briefly, and Vahn's eyes flicked to it for a brief moment. **"Hmph. I'm not surprised."** Vahn poked at his stew a bit more, his face clearly showing his concern.

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Shera huffed a bit as she brushed the dust that the Evil Fly had fluttered onto her off, and gave another kick to the dead beast before pulling out her canteen and gulping a bit of water. The canteen was shoved back into the satchel that Maya had insisted that Shera take with her, and the brunette ruffled her hair as much as she could, her feet pointing towards the distant monastery once more.

The tonfas she bore were starting to show a bit of wear now, unfortunately. There were a few cracks starting to work their way up the weapons, so Shera had started to use more kicks than anything else. There weren't, fortunately, too many monsters about anymore. The lack of cover that the Mist used to give dispersed most of the groups. She'd seen Gobu Gobus run away from her rather than fight her, which was a nice change of pace, for her.

Paper rustled against Shera's fingers as she pulled her hand from her satchel, and she sighed a little, remembering that Tetsu had stopped her on her way out to hand the letter to her. It seemed to be a rather long letter, too, which she supposed was to be expected, seeing as the monk had been out of touch with the monastery for many years, despite the fair distance that separated them.

Pebbles clattered as Shera slid down the river bank and hopped over the trickle of water that was all that was left of the river now that it had been blocked off. She couldn't help but wonder when the bridge would be rebuilt. It certainly would be much easier than stumbling up the bank, getting her hands dirty as she had to use them to keep from falling flat on her face.

She took a breather as she reached the top of the northern bank, and washed her hands off with a grimace before grabbing a loaf of bread that one of the women of Rim Elm had baked early that morning, so that the brunette would have something delicious to eat on the way back to the monastery. And it was indeed delicious, even several hours after it came out of the oven. There was a sweet nut mixture in the center that Shera couldn't help but smile at.

All too soon, the small loaf, and Shera's break, were done, and the brunette stood, clapping her hands to remove the last crumbs. A few swipes of her hands across her lap to dislodge those crumbs as well, and she was off, setting a steady pace across the plains.

Wingbeats made her pause and look around, but the Evil Fly wasn't interested in her, but rather a Lippian that it was trying to poison. Shera shrugged and let the creatures go on with their little drama, shifting her satchel on her shoulder.

It took a good long while to actually get to the monastery, and the sun was starting to set beyond Drake Castle when Shera finally walked up the ramp to the monastery entry. She paused to breath a bit and stretch her legs, making a note to send a letter to the king mentioning the state of the roads. There had been shells of several villages that Shera passed, all grown over and abandoned. She hadn't realized what they were until she had decided to walk right through one. They had all simply looked like a clump of trees.

"**Shera!"** The brunette looked up a little wearily as she heard someone shout her name, and straightened with a smirk as she saw Vahn. He looked like he was trying to hide his relief, and was doing so very poorly.

"**I can hardly tell the difference between road and plains. And there seriously needs to be a bridge across that river."** A low chuckle made Shera look to Gala, and she nodded to him. **"I'd have been here by noon if the ground had been flatter. And if the monsters had let me be the entire time."** She held up her tonfas, the cracks now clear on them.

Vahn took one of the tonfas from Shera, running his bare fingertips over the wood to see just how far the cracks went. Gala did the same with the other one as the three of them started to walk into the monastery.

"**Keep up with how much you've been using these, and you'll be fighting with your hands again."** Shera shrugged one shoulder as Gala handed her the tonfa again, and looked to Vahn as he frowned. He glanced at her, and then blinked before handing the tonfa back as well.

"**I've used them pretty heavily since I got them, anyhow. Where's Noa?"** The weapons were tucked into her belt again, and she covered a yawn as they reached the main hall, where the statue of Biron was. Neither of the men answered her, as the ball of energy came rushing down the stairs to barrel into the brunette.

"**Shera, you're back!"** The brunette winced a little as she got her feet back under her, nodding her thanks to Vahn and Gala, both of whom had kept her on her feet. She'd have fallen otherwise.

"**Yes, and still in one piece despite everything seeming to want to prevent that."** She sounded a little out of breath, and Noa hopped back, an almost scared look on her face. Shera sighed with relief, and rubbed a hand over her armor, a wry smile on her face. **"I think you need to re-learn just how strong you are, Noa. I could feel your grip clear through my armor."** The redhead winced and looked down, a shoe scuffing the ground.

"**It's getting late. Vahn and I spent the afternoon supplying for setting out tomorrow. You'll want to get to sleep soon, Shera, seeing as you were walking for two days."** The brunette tilted her head to the side a little and shrugged, starting up the stairs to the second floor.

"**I was planning on getting some food, first, if there's any still around. I had about two small loaves of sweet bread on the way here. My stomach's growling."** A soft gurgle emphasized her point, and Noa giggled.

"**There should still be some stew in the kitchen."** They all looked up, and Shera smiled to the woman that was standing at the head of the stairs. The brunette recognized her as the woman that Maya had left in charge. **"I'll go start heating it up for you."** Shera nodded as she reached the top of the stairs, and blinked to her left as she saw a certain monk.

"**Oh, Master Zopu!"** Shera started to dig into her satchel as the old man turned to look at her. She pulled out the rather thick folded paper with a wry smile. **"Master Tetsu insisted that I deliver this to you."** The old man smiled as he took the paper, and unfolded it a bit, leaning towards the nearest torch and squinting at the writing.

"**Ah, yes, this is definitely Tetsu's writing. As tiny and illegible as ever."** Vahn and Shera both covered laughs. They both truly did have tidier handwriting than their teacher did. **"I'll have one of the younger monks read it for me. I believe the four of you have some resting to do? You are leaving tomorrow morning, yes?"** The four of them nodded, and Shera winced as a growl came from her midsection, reminding them all she had yet to have a decent meal. Zopu let loose a lout chortle, and slipped the letter into his sleeve. **"Perhaps you are in need of a meal first, Shera. Go on. I shall see the four of you in the morn."**

Shera, Vahn, and Gala all bowed to Master Zopu, and then Shera trotted across the hallway to the kitchen, a good deal more bounce in her step at the prospect of getting food into her stomach. Vahn chuckled a bit and trailed after her, ignoring the odd look that Gala was sending towards him. Noa bounced after the two of them, and Gala sighed before following as well. Perhaps he could get some information out of Shera and Vahn about what their village was like.

Shera was greeted in the kitchen with a bowl of stew and part of a slightly stale loaf. She tucked in with a will anyway, glancing at Noa as the girl begged a part of the loaf as well. Vahn simply sat down and chatted a bit, occasionally glancing over at Shera. The brunette was simply happy to have food getting in her stomach and a place to sit.

"**So, how rough are the roads?"** Shera blinked at the woman that had asked her, dipping her bread crust into the stew to soften it a bit so that the hard edges wouldn't cut up her mouth. **"Are there any villages besides Rim Elm left?"**

Shera drooped a bit at that question, her eyes on the bread in her bowl. The silence that fell after that question spread, and Shera cringed a bit as she realized that everyone in hearing range was listening. She knew that she and Vahn hadn't passed any villages that they'd known of on the way to Drake Castle, as they almost all were on the river.

"**...No, there are none left. Rim Elm is the only one that survived the Mist."** A soft sigh came from the woman that had asked, and she sank down into one of the stools. Another woman placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"**All the villages along the river...They're all gone...?"** Shera nodded, and ate a bit more. Depressing topic or no, she was still hungry!

"**The only reason Rim Elm survived was the wall that was erected, and the wind from the sea. The villages along the river were caught unaware, and unprotected. It's Tieg's grace that not every settlement went that way."** Shera glanced to Vahn as he explained, an unreadable look on her face. Silence fell across the room again, until Shera's spoon scraped the bottom of her bowl. The women all smiled at the slight pout she pointed at her now-empty bowl. The girl had a healthy appetite, and for a very good reason!

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**End Notes: **So the first part of the Legaia world is done. Finally. I really have no clue how many chapters this story is going to end up at. I'm doing my best to keep things interesting, though I didn't really have too many ideas for the first region. Things will get much, _much_ more interesting, I promise.


	13. Stagnant

**Authoress'** **notes: **So apparently this story of mine has become quite popular! I've had so many alerts that people have set it to _their_ alerts in the past month! However, I would like more people to review. I'm not going to do something silly like require a certain number of reviews beforeupdating, though. That's just ridiculous. No, I'm going to respectfully request that more people review.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 12:** Stagnant

Shera waved back at the monks that had seen them off before frowning at the ring that Vahn had tossed to her. It was a bit large, currently resting on the thumb of her left hand. It didn't feel like it was about to slip off, though, rather that it just made her feel like there was something wrong.

"**So you're sure there's a cave to the islands?"** The question was pointed towards Gala, who was walking next to her. Noa was trotting ahead as point, and Vahn was trailing behind, looking around to make sure they weren't snuck up on.

"**According to the maps in the monastery, yes. The way to enter it is on the western side of the river that powers the machines that kept away the Mist."** Shera tilted her head to the side and looked to the mountains in the north, sighing a bit. It was a longer trek to the base of the mountains than it was to the forest where they'd found Ozma's egg.

"**How long will it take?"** Noa had paused to pitch in with the questions, her green eyes wide and innocent. Shera again couldn't help but wonder just how much she actually knew. She'd said that Terra had raised and taught her, but she still acted so incredibly innocent.

Shera pulled her tonfas out to spin them, and winced at the slight whistling sound that came from the air interacting with the cracks in her tonfas. She noticed Vahn wince as well, and kept her eyes roaming around the plains, keeping track of what all the monsters she was seeing were doing.

"**To get there? Roughly around noon tomorrow is when we'll arrive at the cave."** Shera hummed a little. That was about as long as it had taken them to get to West Voz Forest.

"**Might take longer, seeing as the path to West Voz is worn down and it took us that long to get to the Genesis Tree. We may not have much of a road to travel on for a while. I know for a fact that it's easier to travel on a path than just straight across the plains."** Gala frowned a little as he looked to Shera as she spoke, his eyes flicking to her tonfas on occasion as his instinct told him to track their movement.

"**Then we'll probably get there at sundown tomorrow."** Shera sighed as Vahn finished their answer to Noa, and tilted her head from side to side, cracking her neck.

"**Oh, okay!"** Shera and Gala both shook their heads as Noa bounced as she turned around. Shera sighed a little, and shifted her satchel on her back. It was a bit heavier than before, seeing as all their medicines were in it, as well as their trail rations.

"**Shera, let me carry the bag."** The brunette blinked at Gala, and then shrugged, lifting the strap and handing the bag to the ex-monk. She was the only member of the group that wasn't getting a boost from a Ra-Seru. And of the three that were, Gala was the strongest, physically. Neither of them saw the small frown that crossed Vahn's face.

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Shera yawned as she finally crawled into her bedroll, done with her shift. She'd taken the first shift because the others had insisted. She'd been the only one gasping for breath, after all.

Her mind was still whirling a bit, going from Rim Elm and her foster mother and foster sister's safety, to the immediate future, and then, inevitably, to Devin's safety and his location. Her body was exhausted, however, and her eyelids slipped down securely, even as her arm tucked under her neck to provide support for it.

The fire crackled behind the brunette, the warmth seeping through the bedroll at her back and easing the sore muscles all along her back. The night air was cold on her face, though the soft sounds of the nocturnal creatures kept Shera partially on guard. She was simply too exhausted to keep her body tense.

"**We should have been able to go farther..."** Gala sounded a little aggravated, and Noa shushed him. The girl was apparently training a bit to burn off some extra energy.

"**Shera was hitting her limit. Just because we can go farther than her, doesn't mean we should."** Vahn was speaking quietly, farther away than the others. Shera could barely hear him, but he was the one on watch. **"Look at her. She's out cold already."** Shera mumbled softly as she heard the soft voices of the others seemed to fade to her.

Vahn sighed a little as he looked over at Shera while she slept. They were all starting to get used to wearing their armor constantly, though Vahn couldn't deny that there was a slight stench starting to come from his armor, and Shera's to a smaller extent.

Gala had set a pace that was comfortable for him, and even Vahn had had a hard time keeping up. Noa had no problem, however. Shera, on the other hand, had fallen to the back of the group. Vahn stayed near her after he'd noticed her breathing heavily. When they were attacked, the fight was done before she could even get to the monster. Vahn was sure Noa had been pushing herself in that way to make sure Shera didn't have to use more energy.

Gala grumbled on his breath a bit before settling into his bedroll as well, seeming to fall asleep rather quickly. Vahn couldn't help but wonder if the monk had been pushing himself to get away from the monastery. He had looked restless when they returned from the Mist Generator, constantly going to look over the valley to the north.

Noa yawned suddenly and hastily pulled her bedroll out and flopped into it, falling asleep almost faster than Shera. Vahn paced around their camp quietly, his swords already drawn and resting firmly in each hand.

The blunette was much more comfortable with the swords in hand than he'd been when he first started to use both at once. He'd been practicing with them since them, after all. He'd fought with just one against Zeto. Master Tetsu had drilled it into his head how to tell the difference between an enemy that he could afford to take risks on and one that he couldn't. The Seru in the Mist Generator had been almost too much challenge for him to try to teach himself a new style.

Almost too soon, Gala woke and moved to Vahn's side. The blunette looked to the ex-monk, and sighed a bit before unrolling his bedroll and climbing into it. He hadn't been aware of how tired he was until his head rested on his arm. He was asleep almost immediately.

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Shera groaned a bit as she sat up, and blinked at Noa as the girl chirped a greeting. The brunette took her armor off and stretched next to the fire, her back and neck cracking a bit.

"**Ugh. That's a pleasant sound to wake up to."** Shera turned her head and blinked at Vahn as he sat up, and smirked a little tiredly.

"**Learn to deal with it. If we're going to be sleeping in armor the entire time, I'm going to be stretching every morning."** The woman stood and started her morning exercise, just a small distance from the fire. Vahn started their breakfast, heating some water in a small kettle that he'd gotten from somewhere.

Gala was up by the time Shera was done with her morning warm-up, looking a bit grumpy. Shera lifted an eyebrow at him, and accepted the mug of hot water that Vahn offered her.

"**Someone sleep on an ant hill?"** Gala's glare got even worse, and Shera hid her smirk behind her mug. **"Oh, that's good. Sorta chilly, still. When is spring going to properly arrive? Or better still, summer?"** Vahn chuckled a little at Shera.

Shera had preferred summer since she arrived, as opposed to Mei liking spring, and Vahn to winter. There wasn't all that much of a difference in temperature in Rim Elm, though the weather was different from season to season. Summer was when the storms were heaviest, though, so it was a touch strange that Shera liked that season best when she'd been terrified of storms as a child.

Gala was staring at Shera with an odd look on his face. The brunette lifted an eyebrow at him, and Noa looked between the two of them. Vahn sighed a little, seeing that the friction between Shera and Gala that had been evident in the forest was still there, despite how friendly they'd started to seem.

"**Eat up and let's get moving."** Shera rolled her eyes at the ex-monk, wondering what was eating him, and drained the last off her hot water. A stick of jerky was pulled out of her satchel, and she broke it in half, offering one to Gala. She, at least, knew when to shut up and stop 'tempting the tides', as Tetsu had put it when she deliberately taunted the elder.

Gala eyed Shera oddly again, and then accepted the jerky. Another stick was broken in half and offered to Vahn and Noa. Shera shook her wooden mug out and stowed it in her satchel before rolling her bedroll up and putting it away. Gala sighed out of his nose and did the same, though he wasn't quite as precise in rolling up his bedroll as Shera, and his came undone. Shera moved to help him, her hands firmly rolling the thick fabric and her knee pinning it as she worked the belt underneath it to ensure that it didn't unroll again.

Noa and Vahn had already done the same, and Shera offered Gala a small smile as she set the satchel into order. The ex-monk still looked a bit miffed, though he took the bag before Shera could shoulder it, and looked to the others to see if they were ready to depart yet.

They each had agreed to carry their own bedrolls, and a bit of the rations, so that they could eat as they walked. Shera and Vahn both had waterskins, though they shared with the other two when they saw that it was needed. The majority of the medicine remained in the satchel, though Shera still insisted that her original bundle of herbs stay with her. She didn't trust the mushrooms that Noa insisted could heal a person from the inside out.

At least they were traveling parallel to the river. That, at least, made Shera a much easier person to deal with as they left their campsite.

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Shera was breathing hard again at nightfall, when they reached the cave. Noa insisted that they rest a little before exploring the cave, if just to let Shera catch her breath. Gala, for his part, wanted to push on, but Vahn put his foot down with a slight glare to the ex-monk.

It wasn't like it took Shera very long to catch her breath, anyhow. As soon as they were up, the three of them headed into the cave, the Ra-Seru glowing softly to light their way.

It wasn't far into the cave at all that they found a door in the tunnel. Shera knocked hesitantly on it, prodding the metal as she tilted her head towards it. Gala got fed up with her hesitance, and grabbed the visible handle and yanked...only to end up hurting himself as the door didn't even budge.

Noa bounced forward next, and tried to push it, to see if it opened the other way. Shera shook her head at the other two, and stopped Noa before the redhead hurt herself.

"**It's not going to open. See that bar there?"** The others looked where Shera was pointing, and Gala groaned as he saw the bar straight across the top of the door. **"There was another route just a few yards back. Let's try that way."** Vahn, the only one that hadn't tried the door, shrugged, and started back the way they'd come.

Sure enough, there was a fork in the tunnel that only Shera had noticed. There was another door in the middle of that tunnel, but it was made mostly out of wood. Vahn looked to Shera and lifted his hand to knock on the door, the red light coming from Meta lifting as well, as he was using his right hand.

A moment after Vahn knocked on the door, it opened, much to their surprise. The old man on the other side blinked at them, and then a smile split his pale, wrinkled face.

"**How do you do? I am the Old Wizard." **Shera blinked and looked to the others, who were just as surprised as she was. None of them had been expecting to meet anyone in the caves. **"Now that the Mist has amazingly disappeared, I was just waiting for a customer."**

Shera lifted an eyebrow at that, and looked past the old man. A small smile twitched her lips as she saw two signs, old, but well-taken care of. There were torches within as well, a sign that there was fresh air making its way in somehow, as well as perhaps a path up to the mountainside above the Mist.

Vahn was rubbing the back of his head as the old man seemed to go into business mode. Noa seemed to be in awe of the old man's energy. Gala looked slightly annoyed. The four of them conferred briefly before stepping through the door and closing it, to keep monsters out.

"**He runs an inn. It's nightfall outside, and we've been walking since dawn."** Gala grumbled as Shera reminded him why they were stopping. Noa was bouncing as she chattered at the old man, distracting him from Vahn, who was trying to barter for some likely dusty old beds for the night.

Shera had moved to sit on an old barrel, and was running her fingers lightly over her tonfas, a slightly gloomy look on her face as she felt all the cracks in them. They looked like they could fall apart at any momet.

"**Shera."** The brunette looked up, and blinked at Vahn as the blunette waved her over. She stuck the tonfas in her belt. **"I'm trying to see if we can't get some new armor and weapons. Let him see your tonfas?"** Shera lifted an eyebrow, but shrugged and handed her weapons over to the old man.

"**Tonfas...Seen an awful lot of use, these. Made by the weaponsmith at Drake Castle, unless I miss my guess. Subpar wood. Should have used Carm. Well made, despite that. Learned to fight with these, didn't you, miss?"** Without waiting for Shera to respond, the old man rambled on. **"Cracks show that you fight with the sweeping style. Very efficient, very hard to learn. Most jab with the shaft. Still learning, though, I can tell. Only using the handle to grip, not the shaft."** Shera and Vahn traded looks, Shera's storm gray eyes wide.

"**And you can tell all this just by looking at the wear?"** The old man glanced up, and smiled before putting the tonfa down and rummaging in a crate behind him.

"**Yes. I make all the weapons I sell here. Armor, too. Here."** Shera blinked as a pair of dark gray tonfas were handed to her. She gripped them cautiously, and took a step back to try a couple of swings with them. **"Yes, that looks much better in your hands than the red oak ones. You may have those. No charge." **Shera paused to stare at the old man. **"You're more vulnerable than your friends. You need to extra help, and these old things are worth more as firewood than as weapons now."** Shera smiled at the old man, and bowed, pressing the nose of her tonfas together in front of her.

"**Thank you, Old Wizard."** The old man waved off her thanks, and then peered at them all.

"**Hmm...None of you have armor protecting your head...You'll need that if you're heading north. Plenty of flying monsters there. I think I have just the thing."** Now even Vahn looked bemused as the man started to rummage in another crate. Shera tucked her Carm tonfas into her belt, and tapped the toe of her boot on the ground as she sighed a little. She wouldn't be surprised if they had to pay for the armor, but it wasn't like they didn't have money.

Noa had slipped off to explore the area, and a loud rumbling noise made them all jump. The old man barely twitched however, and Shera walked over to see what the redhead was up to. She found the girl cautiously poking at a lever that looked like it had just been moved.

"**...What did you do, Noa?"** The redhead gave the most pitiful look she could make to the brunette, who stood with her hands on her hips.

"**I thought it was broken...It didn't look attached to anything."** Shera rested her palm on her forehead, and walked over to Noa's side to show her the discolored ground in a line from the lever to the wall. **"...Oh. So that noise was whatever that lever was attached to?"** Shera nodded and tugged Noa back to the others. **"Ooh, what're those?"**

'Those' were the four items set on the table. Two jars of what looked like ink were set on the table, along with a pair of large earrings, and a bright green enamel hairclip.

"**They're supposed to grant magical protection to one's head. The earrings are called Power Earrings. The clip is a Green Clip. The pigments are used to draw seals on a warrior's forehead."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at the last bit, and leaned forward a little to eye the two small jars.

"**How do they work?"** The wizard smiled at her, and she met his old, equally stormy eyes in an even stare.

"**That depends on how it's applied. Just dump it on your head, and aye, it'll protect you, but not as well as if it were painted on in a proper seal. It won't wash off, either, unless you want it to."** Shera lifted her eyebrow at that, and then looked at Vahn, who had been paying close attention as well.

"**How much for the four, again?"** Vahn looked a little pained, as if he could recall the number from before, and was trying to figure out if they really could afford the items.

"**3,660 gold. And that's with the discount for the four of you being my first customers in over a decade!"** Shera winced at the price, and crossed her arms as she closed her eyes, thinking. That was an awful lot of gold, but for items with magic built into them, it really wasn't all that bad.

"**...Would it help if we said that we were the ones that got rid of the Mist in the Drake Kingdom?"** Shera opened her eyes as Noa spoke, and blinked at the girl a little. The old man did as well.

"**...Well, in that case, I suppose I could go as low as three thousand gold."** Vahn sighed a little. It wasn't much more of a discount, but it was one that they could afford and still have some wiggle room for supplies, if they needed them.

"**Alright, three thousand we can afford." **The old man held his hand out, and Vahn dug the gold pouch and carefully counted out the coins, not showing how much they really had. Shera wasn't too surprised. Vahn actually was rather shrewd with their money.

They decided who would get which item, where Shera and Noa both admitted that their ears weren't pierced. The only one whose ears were, surprisingly, was Gala. Shera was about to claim the clip when she saw the look on Noa's face as she looked at the object, then handed it to the girl. Vahn already was getting an intricate seal painted on his forehead by the wizard, who was muttering under his breath. Shera simply crossed her arms and waited for Vahn to be done.

"**There. The Ironman Seal is done."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at the name of the seal that had been placed on Vahn. It took up most of his forehead, and looked like it was traced into his hair, but underneath it. It had taken up one entire bottle of pigment, and although the pigment had been plain, the design on Vahn's forehead was more than one color. **"You are the one using the other seal, miss?"** Shera nodded, and Vahn vacated the barrel he'd been sitting on. Shera eased onto it herself, and sighed a little, calming herself. **"Close your eyes and stay still."** The brunette did as he asked, and almost flinched as she felt an icy cold brush touch between her eyebrows.

Shera could almost feel the magic being poured into the seal by the wizard, and though she could hear what he was muttering, could not understand a word of it. The pigment he was putting on her forehead felt liquid, but it didn't run, staying where it had been placed. The design certainly felt very intricate, and the little bottle had apparently held more than she thought it did, as the seal ended up going down to her cheeks somewhat. And all throughout, it felt like ice had formed on her face, until the wizard said one final word, and it transformed to warmth.

"**The Storm Seal is done."** Shera blinked her eyes open, and lifted an eyebrow at the old man as he straightened with a smile that was hidden under his beard. **"One of the more intricate seals I can manage in my old age. It suits you, though."** Shera glanced to Vahn, who smiled a little and nodded, showing he liked it. Shera hopped off of the barrel and bowed a little to the old man before looking at the others.

"**We still have some energy, and there aren't any monsters in the tunnels. We'll head off a while yet. Thank you, Old Wizard."** The four of them waved to the old man and headed out the door, making sure to close it.

"**Wonder if that noise was that bar on the other door moving..."** Vahn groaned as Shera reminded him of the bar that had kept them from heading down the first tunnel.

"**What caused that noise, anyhow?"** Shera smirked a little and jerked her thumb towards Noa, who was hopping forwards instead of walking, humming to herself.

"**Noa found an old lever that wasn't visibly connected to anything unless you looked closely at the floor, and flipped it."** Gala groaned a little at the youngest's tendency to touch anything she saw, and lifted his right arm a bit to cast the light farther.

"**I still don't feel any monsters...How're you holding up, Shera?"** The brunette glanced to Vahn, and sighed a little. He'd been the one to check up on her the most during the hike that day, and it was starting to annoy her.

"**I'm fine, Vahn. Resting for a little while helped."** What also helped was that Shera had been eating a bit of what she'd rationed for herself during the day whenever she started to feel tired. **"Hey, the bar's gone from the door."** The brunette pointed, and, sure enough, she was right.

Gala yanked the door open, almost falling over with how easy it was. Shera stepped in first, and sniffed a little before continuing on, despite the others calling for her to wait. A bit of clattering made Vahn and Gala break into a trot, until they found Shera not too far down the tunnel.

The brunette looked up at the others before holding up a note she'd found in the rough wooden box. Both Vahn and Gala reached for it, but Vahn was the one that took it from her, and read it out loud.

"'**To those who pass this way next, whenever that may be. Beware the Mist. Beware the Seru. Take these supplies, and Tieg be with you.' Not like we don't already know to be wary of the Seru and the Mist. But this is probably old."** Shera nodded a little, and handed over some medicines to Gala. Two bottles of some sort of thing and a preserved bud of the healing plant slipped into the bag before Shera pulled out what looked like a silver disk.

"**What's this?"** Shera stood to take a closer look at it as Gala and Vahn both held out their right arms to get the source of their dim light closer to it. **"Looks like...a compass. Can't figure out what it's for, though. Here, Gala, put it in the bag."** The ex-monk did so as Shera crouched back down and felt around the box. **"And this. Looks like another door talisman."** Vahn took that one, tucking it in his belt.

"**Just in case, I want to have one to hand."** Shera nodded, and stood, tipping the box over with her foot to show there was nothing left in it. **"Let's get moving again."**

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None of them could tell how long they'd been walking when they started to bicker about whether or not they should stop, or if they were lost. Shera's temper was especially short, and she was complaining about being tired. Gala insisted that they kept going, and Vahn had to point out that the Old Wizard hadn't said a thing about how long the tunnel was.

Noa had trotted ahead, her left hand held high so that she could see where she was going. The others weren't used to caves, and so they were completely lost, but Noa could hear the echoes of their voices as they squabbled. She could also feel a slight draft of air.

Finally, she spotted a door. She paused, and then padded forward a bit, making sure that it wasn't just another dripping stalagtite playing tricks on her eyes in the dark. No, it was definitely a door. With a wide grin, she stooped to pick up a rock and walked back towards the argument she could still hear distantly, occasionally scraping the stone against the wall to mark her way.

"**And I'm telling you that you're wrong!"** Noa cringed a little as she heard Shera outright yelling at Gala. Vahn was standing between them, making sure that Shera stayed out of Gala's face.

"**Um."** The single syllable made all three of them look to Noa, who was scratching her ear with her left hand. **"I found a door."** Shera sighed a bit, and rubbed her hands over her forehead, having apparently forgotten about the seal that was there.

"**Hopefully there's an inn on that end, too. I need to sleep."** Noa nodded, and turned around, gesturing for them to follow her. Gala huffed a bit and moved to follow the girl first, his shoulder bumping into Shera's a bit roughly. **"Hey!"**

Vahn groaned, and gently pushed on Shera's shoulders, making her move forwards. She jerked her shoulders free of his hands with a slight glare towards him, but followed the other two.

They were walking for a while, but Noa led them down the right forks, and they were soon at the door. She knocked on the door, and they all heard a fuss on the other side before it was opened, an old woman with startled green eyes looking at them. After a moment of staring, the old woman smiled gently at them.

"**Well. My first customers in ten years, and they show up in the middle of the night. You must be exhausted."** Shera nodded, standing just behind Gala, and the old woman laughed a bit. **"Come in, come in. I've clean beds, and a bit of food, if you're hungry."** Noa hopped through the door, and Gala was shoved to the side as Shera pushed past him, a thinly disguised glare shot towards him.

"**I think the beds are all we need right now. We should have been resting quite a while ago."** The old woman laughed a little, and as the two young men stepped through, gestured for them to close the door.

"**I understand, dear. I'll let you sleep as long as you'd like. You look like the sort to get short with your temper when you need your beauty rest."** Shera blushed a little at the term 'beauty rest', and her eyebrow twitched a little. **"You two young ladies have those beds there, and the two men can have the beds over there, on the other side of the children."** Shera bowed gratefully to the old woman, and headed towards the beds that had privacy screens pulled around them. Noa soon followed, a bit more bounce in her step than had been there before hearing about the beds.

Even Gala couldn't deny that sleep sounded good. Vahn had just enough time to pull off his armor and boots before falling asleep on top of the blankets, and the ex-monk wouldn't be surprised if Shera had done the same, or had even fallen asleep with her boots or armor still on. He placed his boots neatly next to each other, with his armor leaning against them, and crawled under the covers before he fell fast asleep.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera couldn't help but notice how odd the dream she was having was. She'd never been in a city made of stone that was overrun by vines. Even the fountains were choked with the plants, and the stairways up an odd pyramid structure looked like they had once had wooden handrails, but had since rotted away. Most of the stones were covered in moss, and as the brunette wandered around, she found that despite the Mist that covered the city, she felt no hostility.

"**Vahn! Noa! Shera!"** The brunette turned her head as she heard Gala's shout, and started to walk in that direction, heading around the front of the pyramid structure. Sure enough, there was the ex-monk, and Vahn and Noa were heading towards him from the opposite way.

"**Wh-where are we?"** Noa looked a little scared, waving her arms around. Shera stretched and looked at Vahn, her eyebrows lifting. They were all missing their main armor and their weapons, but had their boots on.

"**I think we're dreaming."** Shera nodded to Vahn's suggestion, though Gala frowned.

"**Perhaps...But if this is a dream, it feels different from an ordinary dream."** Shera hopped up one of the stairs to the pyramid, and carefully sat down, making sure that she wasn't sitting on any moss.

"**Definitely. I don't know of any ordinary dream where we'd all gather. Most of mine are either nightmares, or trying to follow my brother's voice."** Gala glanced at Shera and then did a double-take, as if assuring himself that it was indeed her that had just said they had nightmares regularly.

Noa suddenly straightened and placed her hands behind her ears to try to catch more sound, her eyes closing. Gala frowned at her behavior, and crossed his arms, tapping his foot.

"**What now?"** Vahn sent Gala a warning glance before turning his attention to Noa as well. Shera had simply leaned a bit so she could see the youngest a bit better.

"**...A voice. I hear a voice!"** Shera closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, straightening as she listened hard. Noa leaned forward and cupped her hands around her mouth. **"Who is it?"**

Noa muttered to herself, looking almost scared. She then jumped, her eyes widening. Shera stood, and moved to stand to Gala's right, looking towards the bronze door between the two large staircases. They all were able to hear a voice now, yes, but there was a glowing light emerging from the door.

"_My name is Hari!_

_I inhabit a world between the dream world and the human world. I have a message for those in the human world and who are with the Ra-Seru. They are the true words of Rem._

_Go to Octam, the ancient yet eternal city, far away in the heart of Sebucus. _

_There, compassionate human beings will learn the true meaning of all dreams!"_

Shera shook her head in confusion as the light shot upwards. All four of them seemed to be in awe, though Noa most of all. Shera simply crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and tilted her head down.

"**What an odd dream..."**

**~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~**

Shera groaned a little as she woke up, and rolled over under the covers of her bed before pulling the pillow over her head, her whole body aching, somehow. She heard Noa whine a bit, but the girl actually got up, where Shera could barely stand even the idea of getting up yet. Her body felt far too heavy.

"**Mm...Shera?"** The brunette didn't budge as she heard Noa call her name. **"Must still be asleep..."** Footsteps heading away told Shera that the redhead was going to leave her be, and the brunette sighed before carefully stretching her shoulders and trying to will herself to sleep.

"**Noa? Where's Shera?"** Vahn, and probably Gala, were up as well, but Shera, no matter how she tried, couldn't will her body to sit up. Her hand twitched as her back and legs protested the attempt at movement, and she bit back a moan.

"**Still in bed."** Footsteps headed towards the nook that Shera and Noa had been sleeping in, and the brunette peeled open one eye, only now noticing that she was facing the space between the two beds. Vahn was the one coming in to check on her, and he noticed that her eye was open.

"**You alright? Normally you're one of the first ones up."** Shera automatically tried to sit up, and winced as her muscles complained again. Vahn noticed, and crouched next to her. **"What hurts?"** Shera sighed a little, not even trying to hide how tired she was still.

"**Everything. Back and legs hurt most."** She hadn't been sore at all when they'd arrived at this inn. Her voice was soft, too, as if she didn't even have the energy to make herself louder.

"**It's understandable, seeing how far the four of you came in one night, and after walking all day, too."** Shera's eyes slid to the old woman, noticing that for a moment, Vahn moved to protect her before he recognized who was approaching. **"I'm surprised that you and the other two aren't in the same state."** Shera blinked slowly at a red glow, and Vahn glanced down at his arm.

"**Meta says that he and the other two Ra-Seru have been helping us recover from the strain. Shera doesn't have a Ra-Seru, so..."** The blunette glanced back to Shera, who was trying to shift positions without her back and legs protesting too much.

"**Healing may help her a bit, but the only thing that will truly get her back on her feet is time."** Vahn glanced at the old woman before summoning a Vera to heal Shera. The brunette sighed with relief as much of the pain from her spasming muscles eased. She was able to push herself up a little, though Vahn didn't let her sit up all the way.

"**Then we'll stay here until she's well enough to fight again."** The old woman looked to Vahn with a small smile on her face, and then nodded a bit.

"**Stay as long as you like. So long as you and the others help out a bit, you needn't pay for the beds. You are the first customers I've had in a decade."** Shera sighed a little, and tried to massage her forearm with her hand, trying to work free a knot that she could feel. The old woman was called by a young voice outside of the nook, and toddled off to see what was needed of her.

"**I really need to talk to Gala and convince him that we have to travel at your pace."** Shera smirked a little as Vahn grumbled to her, and blinked as he gently took her arm and started to work the knots out of it, starting with her wrist. **"Heh. Remember when Tetsu first had us do this for each other?"** The memory made the smirk on Shera's face grow into a full-out smile.

"**How could I forget? You were so awkward. And you didn't do it right at all."** The brunette winced a little as Vahn moved to her hand, his rough fingers pressing into the sore spots gently until they no longer hurt and her hand felt flexible again.

"**You were just as bad, though. Though I suppose you caught on that the pain meant that you were doing it right first."** Shera snorted a bit, her body relaxing as the tension in first her right arm, then her left were rubbed away.

Tetsu had taught the two how to work the muscles out of each other's arms after they'd gotten sick at the same time and weren't able to stretch normally. Shera still hadn't trusted anyone outside of her family very much, but she'd started to open up to Vahn after those lessons.

The brunette suddenly tensed with a slight hiss of pain as Vahn's thumb pressed on the place between her index finger and her thumb on her left hand. Vahn carefully eased off the pressure and moved his thumb in a small circle until Shera relaxed, showing that the pain had faded.

"**Sorry. Didn't realize that your hands were so bad."** The old woman interrupted then, carrying a stool, and smiled knowingly at the two from Rim Elm before heading back out of the nook. Vahn sighed a little, but hooked the stool over so that he could sit on it.

"**Tonfas do a number on my hands. And my arms. And the enemy."** Vahn chuckled a bit, and moved his attention to the muscles that controlled the fingers in Shera's left hand. Shera grimaced a little as the knots there resisted being massaged away, but didn't complain.

"**On the enemy, for sure. Noa commented on our way to the Mist Generator that she didn't know how you could fight with two tonfas, though, because her arm hurt just after a few swings of hers."** Shera slowly slid herself to a sitting position, and carefully tilted her head from side to side to stretch the muscles in her neck.

"**Yeah. That's why I spin my tonfas so much. The noise was just a side thing. Had to get my muscles used to it."** Shera carefully stretched her neck, and sighed as a pop came from it.

"**Well, I'm not doing your legs, which are probably worse than your arms. You've been kicking a lot more than usual."** Shera shrugged, which brought another set of pops, and she winced. **"Sounds like your shoulders are pretty bad too, though...I think the old woman said that there was a hot spring through a door around here...She pointed it out to Noa earlier. You might want to ask her, as soon as you feel you can walk again."**

"**That heal you did got rid of a lot of the pain, though I figure it's gonna be a while before I can walk normally. How the heck are you guys not in at least some pain, though?"** Vahn chuckled a little and finished up getting the knots out of Shera's left forearm. He held up his right hand, twisting it so that Meta faced her.

"**Somehow the Ra-Seru are able to help us heal. Gala's not too pleased by the delay, though."** Shera snorted a little, and carefully leaned forward wincing as her the muscles all along her back complained.

"**It's not like we have to be somewhere by a certain point in time. We aren't simply strolling along, but that doesn't mean that we have to rush. Especially if it means that I can't keep up."** The brunette sighed as she finally was able to touch her forehead to her knees, letting the muscles that had been tense stretch.

"**Yeah. I don't know why he's trying to get us moving so fast, either. Rushing into the unknown will only get us hurt. And if this happens every time we do rush, we'll only take longer to get there."** He stood, and stretched his arms over his head. **"I'll go get you something to eat. You're probably hungry."** Shera nodded to show she'd heard him, and started to massage her right leg, wincing as just the pressure made her flinch.

A soft set of footsteps made her turn her head, and she lifted an eyebrow as she saw Gala. As she had thought, he had a scowl on his face. She acted like she didn't notice the scowl, turning her eyes back to her legs as she tried to smooth out the knots in her calf muscles.

"**You can't be hurting that badly if you're bent over like that."** Shera sighed a little, counting backwards from ten in her head as her fingers found another knot to work out. Once she reached one, she opened her mouth to speak.

"**Vahn's already healed me somewhat. If he hadn't, I'd still be curled up on my side, barely able to even roll over. It took me several minutes just to stretch my back enough to do this."** She didn't look towards the ex-monk, but knew he was narrowing his eyes at her. She was glad that she hadn't had the energy to undress beyond taking her boots and armor off. She'd have been in a bit of trouble getting dressed again.

Shera twitched and grunted as a muscle in her back spasmed, and had to use her arms to push herself up so that the muscle would stop. Her mouth was set tight so that she wouldn't make any sound of pain, though her breathing was a little irregular. Finally, the muscle stopped, and she let her shoulders sag a bit as she sighed. By then, Vahn was walking into the nook with a wooden bowl with a small roll balanced on top.

"**Your back decided to hurt?"** Shera nodded, and carefully shifted so that she was leaning back against the headboard of the bed. If her back spasmed that way, she wouldn't spill anything on herself. She took the bowl from Vahn and set it in her lap, glancing at Gala as he left.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera sighed as she lowered herself into the hot springs, the sound echoing through the closed off cavern as the heat eased tight muscles all along her back. The spring wasn't very deep where she was, either, and the slight salty smell made her smile, thinking of the ocean. The torches flickering made her smile as well, enjoying the cozy feeling.

It had been a while since she'd allowed herself to relax. Even in the monastery, she was listening for any sign of attack, though she knew that there wasn't one coming. The attack had come while she wasn't there.

The brunette sighed as her muscles tightened slightly, and started to massage the knots out of her legs and upper arms. The door opened, and Shera stiffened a little, looking over her shoulder to see who was joining her. A couple of children stepped through and then closed the door, and Shera smiled a little, her body relaxing again.

"**Oh! You're Miss Shera."** The girl that spoke looked to be about Noa's age, only much calmer, and with brown hair. **"How are you feeling?"** Shera sighed a little and rubbed her now-sore hands.

"**Still very sore. I haven't been taking as good care of my muscles as I thought I was. I just didn't notice it until this morning because my muscles were all stiff from walking so long."** The girls slipped into the water as well, the ripples disappearing into the dark. Shera couldn't help but notice that neither of them were looking towards where it was darkest.

"**I heard your companions talking about that. Why are you all in such a hurry?"** Shera chuckled a little, and carefully stretched her legs, one at a time, feeling the tense muscles around her hip joints stretch.

"**The other three have holy Seru that can reawaken the Genesis Trees. They're just anxious to get going and awaken the rest of the trees across the land. I don't suppose you children would really know what it's like to be scared of getting up every day, knowing that one thing going wrong could spell disaster for you and everyone around you."** The girls blinked at Shera, who had sunk into the water up to her neck.

"**That's what it's like outside? No wonder the Old Witch doesn't let us go anywhere but up to the garden on the mountain."** Shera lifted an eyebrow at that.

"**There's a garden you have access to? Well, I suppose that explains where the food comes from, as well as why everyone here isn't crazy."** Shera smiled lopsidedly, and tilted her head from side to side, ignoring the fact that her braid was in the water. The girls looked confused. **"I've been feeling anxious and sort of weird since entering the tunnels. I don't know Noa used to live in a cave so long, unless she also had a garden on the mountainside."**

"**I didn't, but there was a place where the sun came through the stones. Terra used to take me there and had me sit in the sun for a while."** Shera turned, and smiled a bit at Noa, who was joining them, her hair wrapped up in her towel. Shera could now see that Noa did indeed have tan lines, but was lithe and trim like only a fighter could be.

"**Ah, that explains it. Sunlight makes people healthy. I'm guessing you all take turns going up to the garden?"** Shera pointed the question to the two girls, who nodded. **"Makes sense. Heh. Maybe once the Mist is gone outside, the Old Witch will let you travel and see the world. There's so much out there that's so different from here...It's so different from my home, too. Once you see the world, you'll find that it's hard to fit back in where you grew up, though."** The two girls' eyes widened a little, and Shera smiled.

"**Really? The world is that different?"** Noa nodded this time, smiling. Shera knew that the redhead felt close to the two children, most likely because of how she'd been raised herself.

"**I grew up with just a wolf for my only companion. Vahn and Shera were the first other humans I'd ever met. Next thing I know, they've taken me to a castle, bustling with people! Even Shera was a little uneasy with how many people were around."** The brunette lifted an eyebrow at her companion, her hands rubbing her shoulders under the water.

"**I wasn't aware you could tell that. You're more perceptive than I'd thought you'd be, being secluded for all your life."** Noa giggled a little.

"**Terra taught me how to look at other people's body language to figure out how they feel. That's how I managed to stand being in the market."** Shera chuckled a bit, and lifted her arms out of the water to stretch, sighing happily as her back tensed and then relaxed because of the warm water.

"**I just sat to the side and watched everyone. I did that, even back in Rim Elm. It's odd, the things people do when they don't think anyone's watching."** Noa tilted her head to the side, and Shera glanced at the two children that were still watching them. As she thought, they were starved for stories. With a smile, the brunette decided to indulge them.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

The next morning, Shera woke up and sat up with a groan, feeling her body aching all over again, but not as sharply as it had the day before. She whined under her breath as she tilted her head from side to side and then started to stretch, right where she was. Noa moved from her own bed, and stretched her arms over her head before sliding off her own bed.

"**Morning, Shera! How do you feel?"** The brunette blinked at Noa, and stretched her legs out in front of her, reaching for her toes.

"**Sore. Had an odd dream again."** Noa blinked, and tilted her head to the side. **"Weird part is, it's the exact same dream I had last night."** A fairly loud crack, and Shera winced before pushing herself back up.

"**That sounded painful. At least you're able to get up and move around."** Shera and Noa both turned to look at Vahn as he entered their nook, and Shera rolled her shoulders back, earning another crack for her effort.

"**Mm. Not so sure on the getting up part, but I'm not as stiff as I was yesterday morning."** Another set of pops and cracks came from her back as she twisted from side to side. **"Ow. Still really stiff, though."** Vahn chuckled a bit, and tossed Noa a roll that he was holding before holding the other up to get Shera's attention with it.

"**You should take another bath today, then. Here. Still warm from the oven."** Shera caught the roll with one hand, and smiled a bit as she bounced it on her open palm, apparently finding it too hot to hold onto.

"**Mmm...Smells great. Better than my baking, for sure!"** Vahn couldn't help but laugh at that, and the brunette grinned in response before biting into the roll.

"**You're bad at baking, Shera?"** Vahn laughed as Shera nearly choked on her roll. Noa merely looked between the two of them, a clueless look on her face. **"What?"** Vahn shook his hand in front of his face as he tried to control his laughter, and Shera merely breathed, her hand on the base of her neck as she recovered from her coughing fit.

"**Oh, just...The last time Shera tried to bake anything, she just about set the house on fire."** The brunette's face turned a darker shade of red, and she turned so her feet were on the floor, pointing at Vahn.

"**Not my fault! The chimney was clogged!"** Vahn held his hands up as if to ward off an attack, but there was a big grin on his face still.

"**No, but the time before that, your bread was burnt to a crisp and before that, it didn't even rise."** Shera's face grew bright and brighter until it matched Noa's hair. The innocent girl was simply looking between them with curiosity.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

**End Notes:** A fair bit of character development here, and resetting limits for people. As well as some well-deserved healing and relaxing. Cause all four of them could use it.

**_Read, enjoy, and review!_**


	14. Sea Breeze

**Authoress' Notes:** Wow, I finished that chapter much faster than I thought I would have. Which is good. Means it flows much better. XD

Summer Quarter has just started, so there may be another delay in updates, sadly. I know, I just finished an unexpected haitus, but college comes before fun. Hopefully this English class (the american version; I don't need to learn the language) doesn't fry my brain the way programming did.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia.

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Chapter 13: Sea Breeze

Shera groaned a bit as she sat up on the third morning that they'd stayed with the Old Witch, and tilted her head from side to side before testing her back. Nothing cracked or popped, and she slouched with a relieved sigh.

The brunette turned and sat on the edge of her bed before lifting her feet out in front of her and leaned forward a little, reaching for her toes as she tested the muscles that kept her from falling on her face. She needed to be completely sure that she didn't have any more incredibly sore muscles. A bit more twisting and stretching, and she nodded to herself, standing up.

"**Morning, Shera."** The brunette looked up, and blinked once as she saw Gala standing at the entrance to the nook holding a couple of rolls.

"**Morning. Good news. I'm feeling up to at least walking around. Fighting may or may not take another day."** Gala lifted an eyebrow, and offered her one of the rolls. **"Thanks."**

"**So long as you're actually able to move around, we should be good. I'm sorry. I should have put your limits into consideration when setting the pace."** Shera smiled a bit around her roll, and tilted her head to the side.

"**Apology accepted. You're still used to your own limits being closer. You were trying to gauge my limits off of your own, like before you joined with Ozma."** Gala blinked at Shera, who merely smiled at him and stood, lifting her hands over her head and leaning from side to side as she stretched.

"**...Well, that was easier than I expected."** Shera snorted a bit at that, and glanced past him as she heard someone yawn.

"**It's not that hard to get me to forgive someone for something small like that. The elder in my village is on the grudge list, though."** Gala blinked at that, and then turned to see Noa getting up. **"Morning."** The redhead blinked at Shera, and then yawned widely.

"**Morning Shera. Morning Gala. I had that dream again."** Shera blinked twice, and tilted her head to the side.

"**You had a dream again? Which one? Did it involve Octam?"** Shera looked to Gala, who was looking a little startled. Her own stormy blue eyes were wide.

"**Octam? I've had a dream three nights in a row where that was mentioned."** Now Gala stared, his eyes wide.

"**...What are the chances of all four of us having the same dream?"** Shera looked to Vahn, who had just entered the nook with a tray with three bowls of soup on it. **"I brought more breakfast."** Shera perked up as she saw the familiar rice porridge that everyone in Rim Elm had for breakfast.

"**Slim to none, normally. Maybe Hari has something to do with it?"** Shera had already shoved some of her porridge in her mouth by the time Gala was done talking, earning a stare from the ex-monk.

"**Hm...We've heard stories about him, even in Rim Elm. They say he can see all of time."** Shera turned her eyes to Vahn, eating another spoonful of her porridge. Her eyes then slid to the side as she thought.

"**That's very interesting. I think I'd heard that he can interpret dreams, too, from one of the children here. We swapped stories for a while last night."** Vahn looked to the Shera, and lifted an eyebrow, scooping some of his porridge into his mouth. The brunette took another bite of hers and swallowed it before regaling them with the story she'd heard from the two girls she'd bathed with. Noa helped a bit, but she didn't have the mind for storytelling.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera huffed a little as she finished her regular morning training routine, and then smiled. She was feeling limber again, and it was a great feeling. It was about midday, so they weren't about to set out, but knowing she was able to fight again was a great feeling.

Most of the children had gathered to watch her train, while Vahn and the other two had gone up to the mountaintop garden to see if they couldn't figure out where they had to go. Noa in particular was wanting to see the sun again. For a girl that had been raised in a cave, she certainly had a need to see the sky.

A few of the young boys were imitating Shera a bit, and the young woman corrected them a bit with their stances, and had them throw a few punches. She could barely remember when Tetsu had started to teach her how to fight, so she did her best to follow his example.

Gala was the first one back from the garden, which didn't surprise Shera much, seeing as he'd grown up in a monastery. He pulled aside a few of the boys that were catching on faster, and taught them some basics, and Shera watched with the others. She already knew the techniques he was teaching, but she probably would have learned faster if she'd learned the way he taught than the way Tetsu taught.

Gala soon had a little class going, and Shera simply sat and watched, a smile on her face. Gala was good with children. He managed to keep their attention much easier than Tetsu ever could.

Vahn soon came back, and smiled a bit as he saw Gala with the boys before going to talk to the Old Witch. Noa was apparently still on the mountainside.

Shera was soon distracted from watching the boys by the girls gathering around her and begging her for stories. So the brunette pulled them to the side and had them tell her what stories they already had before launching into one of her favorites that she learned in Rim Elm.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera sighed as her spoon scraped the bottom of her bowl, and then set it to the side, grabbing the mug that was still full of steaming tea. A sip and a sigh, and she leaned back against the wall, folding her legs in front of her.

Her companions were talking to the children and the Old Witch, not even noticing that she was sitting off to the side on her own. Not that Shera minded. She was getting more used to people noticing her, thanks to the monastery, but she still preferred to sit and watch people live their lives around her.

Vahn had assured them that they were set for several weeks of traveling yet, and if push came to shove, they could figure out how to hunt. The Old Witch in particular was concerned, and had given each of the four of them five of what she called Doors of Wind, which, if Shera understood correctly, was the same as a Door of Light, only with a longer range, though it didn't work indoors.

The food that night was particularly delicious, and filling. The children didn't seem to mind that it was only because of their visitors, judging by how the girls got up on occasion to dance and sing a bit. It wasn't quite like Rim Elm, but that may have been because there were no adults.

Eventually, Gala moved to sit next to Shera, sighing a little as he sat and rested his elbows on his knees. Neither said anything, simply watching the rest. Neither really needed to say anything, as a smirk or a lift of an eyebrow stated what they thought of the antics unfolding before them, in the form of Vahn trying to stop Noa from recreating some battle or another.

Finally, Shera yawned and stood, stretching. The Old Witch looked to her, and she smiled before pointing towards the nook where she and Noa had been sleeping. The old woman nodded, and the brunette slipped into the nook, her bare feet barely making a sound on the tamped earth floor.

After changing into the nightgown that the Old Witch had let her borrow, Shera climbed into bed and fell asleep with the sounds of life echoing in her head. Perhaps it was because it was so similar to Drake Castle, but she dreamt of when she'd sat on the castle steps and watched the bustling market.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

A sigh and a slight groan announced Shera waking in the morning, and the brunette pulled her brush out to brush her hair and rebraid it. Noa was still asleep, her bright red hair dark in the shadows from the partially extinguished torches. There wasn't any noise aside from the soft pop of the banked fire, so the brunette knew she was the first one up.

Once her hair was braided, she stood and changed into her travel gear, putting the rest of her clothes, now clean, thanks to the Old Witch, into the satchel that always seemed to find its way into her care. The spare clothing of the others was there, as well, seeing as the rest had set aside their armor and traveling clothes before going to sleep.

Prior to putting on her armor or her boots, Shera moved to the cleared area where the antics had been happening the night before and started up her morning routine, making sure to be quiet. It didn't seem to matter how quiet she was, though, as Gala soon joined her, yawning silently.

The two of them stretched and went through their own routines, though Shera's seemed to focus more on agility and flexibility to Gala's sheer strength. Vahn eventually joined them, though he did nothing but stretch as Meta glowed, apparently telling him something.

Noa was the last one to rouse, well after the other three had greeted the Old Witch as she got up to make breakfast. An old map had been found late last night, and Vahn had insisted that he show Shera. The brunette moved a precious candle nearer to the map so that she could read it better, and was quiet as she pored over it, her eyes a surprising blue-gray-green color despite the shadows.

A plan of travel was soon created, thanks to some input from the Old Witch on the old tourist attractions of the places, and Shera pored over the map of the Sebecus islands again, mumbling to herself. A mug of steaming tea was a small distraction, though she paid attention when a pair of rolls were placed in her hands. Just a whiff of the herbs within the rolls was enough to break her attention on the map.

The Old Witch laughed at Shera's hungry reaction to the food, and handed another roll to Vahn, who was inhaling his just as quickly. **"If you want, dears, you can take that map with you. We have no need of it here, and most travelers have their own maps."** Shera blinked at the old woman, but then smiled and nodded to show her appreciation, her mouth full of bread.

"**So where are we headed first?"** Shera tapped a name on the map in response to Gala's question, and Vahn answered for her.

"**Jeremi. The Old Witch said that it's known for its gardens, so it may be possible that they have a Genesis Tree there. It's the nearest settlement, anyhow. Even if there isn't a tree there, we should be able to at least find further information."** The monk nodded, and tucked into his own breakfast.

When they were done, they all arranged the small packs that they each carried, and Shera slung the satchel over her shoulder, her armor firmly in place. A pat to her yet-unused tonfas on her belt, and she nodded to Vahn, showing that she was ready.

The children gathered around the door as the four travelers started off, and Shera was the last one to stop waving before closing the door behind her. Gala had been very polite to the Old Witch, and the others had followed suit in thanking her.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera sighed a little as she sat in front of the fire, occasionally glancing towards the beach that wasn't too far away. Noa had commented that both she and Vahn had seemed to be lighter in mood as soon as the sound of the waves hit their ears. They were all a bit roughed up from the monsters in the region, which consisted largely of huge rodents that Gala called Kabuki Rats, and cousins of the large birds of the Drake region, called Hell's Triggers, thus far.

Noa was already fast asleep, curled up next to the fire with a makeshift bandage around her upper arm to cover the small injury she'd gotten. Vahn was asleep as well, laying on his side near Shera. Gala was patrolling, stoically withstanding the injury he'd gotten from one of the Hell's Triggers that they'd fought earlier. Shera had managed to avoid the birds' sharp beaks and talons, though the rest hadn't caught on quite so quickly.

After a jaw-popping yawn caught Shera by surprise, she decided it was time that she turned in for the night as well. The satchel was set under her head, and she curled up slightly in the chill night air, quickly falling asleep.

She couldn't call her sleep restful, though, because of the nightmares that plagued her almost as soon as she closed her eyes. Time and again, she dreamt of the monster that had attacked Rim Elm, taking out first her village, then Drake Castle, and then Biron Monastery. Next to taunt her was Caruban, the monster atop Mount Rikuroa that had scarred her leg. Its claws were dripping in blood, and a limp, green-haired body hung in its grasp. Before she could try to kill it for what it had done, her dream-vision turned black.

"**Shera...!"** A distant voice, as familiar as her own, called the brunette, and she hesitated for a moment before dashing in the direction she'd heard it from, knowing, once again, that she was heading north. As she ran, though, she could feel that she was much closer to the one that had called her name than she had been before.

She gasped with happiness as she spotted a dim, brown-haired figure in the dark distance. Somehow, she managed to coax a bit more speed from her legs, and got a clearer look of the man kneeling like a puppet without strings.

"**Deven!"** The man's head lifted a little, but Shera skidded to a stop as his form started to bulge horribly and mutate. **"D...Deven...?"** The form that was once her brother was now huge, towering over her as it screeched and screamed, blood gushing as the skin broke, then healed, then broke once more, changing from what was once a slightly muscular human form to a hulking four-legged monstrosity. Shera covered her mouth, unable to turn her eyes away even though her mind was screaming at her to.

Finally, Shera recognized what Deven was turning into, and paled as she started to back up, just as the beast that had attacked Rim Elm screeched one last time and started to charge up its strange attack, turning its head directly at her.

Just as the attack was about to incinerate her, she sat up with a scream, shivering and gasping for air next to the banked fire on the shore of the mainland. She stood and stumbled a few steps before falling to her knees and retching, shaking as she tried desperately to calm down.

Vahn was at her side in a flash, a dozen questions falling from his lips as he held her braid out of the puddle of vomit and rubbed her back. The brunette simply shook with sobs, barely noticing the presence of her childhood friend as she waited for the adrenaline that had filled her because of the dream to fade.

A sleepy but concerned voice sounded from the fire, and Vahn turned to look at Gala, who had woken when Shera screamed. It was just an hour ago when the ex-monk had woken Vahn for his shift. Seeing the shuddering form of the only member of the group that didn't have a Ra-Seru to protect their mind from the effects of the Mist, the brunette man moved to see what was wrong for himself, bringing one of their canteens along with.

By the time Shera managed to drink some water, she was able to think straight again, though still shaking. Vahn hadn't let go of her, occasionally checking her temperature as if he thought that she might have fallen sick. The brunette wasn't telling them anything about why she'd screamed, though, simply staring at the fire as she hugged her knees.

Meta, Ozma, and Terra all glowed softly, driving the Mist away from the fire a bit. This helped Shera to calm down even further, and as her panic faded completely, she fell asleep, leaning on her oldest friend.

Gala and Vahn exchanged glances over Shera's head, each of them concerned. Ozma had echoed Meta's message that Shera had had a dream message twisted by distance and the strength of the Mist around her. Who the dream message was from was locked firmly in Shera's head, and Meta didn't want to anger the young woman by digging for that information.

"**A dream message...What does that even mean?"** Vahn glanced to Meta as the Ra-Seru spoke to him. Ozma carried the fire Ra-Seru's words to Gala. **"...So someone that knows Shera well enough that the words in their heart could carry to her has been trying to tell her something? How is that even possible?"** Vahn ran his thumb over his lower lip, his eyes sliding to the side.

"**...Her brother, perhaps."** Gala looked to Vahn, a questioning look on his face. **"Ever since she arrived in Rim Elm, she's spoken of him. She was separated from him before she arrived. Part of why she left was to find him, I think. I think everyone in the village would be sad is she'd given up all hope of finding him."** Gala looked down at the brunette that now had her head in Vahn's lap a little differently.

"**...No wonder the Mist affects her so strongly, then. It pulls out our deepest fears, I've heard. I certainly had uneasy dreams before joining with Ozma, and the Mist there was considerably thinner than it is here."** The ex-monk looked towards the moon, a faint glow through the Mist. **"The Mist here is so thick...Wherever the Mist generator is, it must be stronger than the one in the Drake Kingdom, to be able to spread over not just the islands, but the ocean as well."** Vahn sighed a little, but nodded, looking down at Shera.

"**I'd have told her to stay behind, but...Heh, I think you know her well enough by now to know how she'd react to that."** Gala chuckled a little, and stood, tilting his head from side to side.

"**Chase after us all by her lonesome and give us a thorough chewing out once she managed to get to us. With how she is, she'd even get to us with barely a scratch on her."** Vahn smirked a little and nodded. **"I think she'd wake up if you got up. Should I take the rest of your shift, or let Noa actually take a share?"** Vahn sighed a bit, and looked at Noa.

"**You've already been up for most of the night. Let Noa take a shift."** Gala nodded, and moved to wake the redhead up. The girl yawned, but was up and pacing around the campfire shortly, and Vahn nodded his thanks to the ex-monk.

Vahn was nodding off sitting up soon enough, Gala sleeping lightly in case Noa needed help. Shera stayed asleep, though the face that Meta was glowing, keeping the Mist away from her so she could actually get rest.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera groaned a little as she woke up the next morning, and started to sit up when she felt something pressing on her shoulder. She turned her head to look up, and blinked as she saw Vahn's face close to hers...only he was still asleep. She slid out from under his hand and looked around, yawning.

Shera moving must have been enough to wake Vahn up, because he was blinking his eyes open when she glanced back at him. She chuckled a little at him and glanced over the campsite again, blinking as she saw the satchel a few feet away, when she'd fallen asleep using it as a pillow.

"**You alright?"** The brunette blinked at Vahn, and he smiled a bit, though there was still worry in his eyes. **"You woke up in the middle of the night screaming."**

"**Vahn was already up at that point. You woke me up pretty much immediately."** Shera blinked at Gala, who was sitting on the other side of the fire. **"Meta said something about a dream message being scrambled, though I don't understand it much, myself."** Shera frowned a little, and shivered as she remembered the dream that had made her wake up.

"**I...It was a dream that I've had before...Or it started out that way. I've dreamt of my brother calling my name, leading me north many times before, but..."** Shera curled up on herself a bit, and then shook her head. **"I..."** Vahn rested a hand on her shoulder, and frowned as she flinched slightly.

"**You don't have to tell us all of it, if you don't want to."** Vahn glanced to Gala as he spoke, and Shera relaxed a little. Noa was still fast asleep by the fire, exhausted from her turn keeping watch.

"**N-no, I...I have to, or it'll just keep bothering me." **Vahn frowned a little as he heard her stutter a little. **"I actually caught sight of him, but...He...started to...turn into the beast that attacked Rim Elm, and...attacked me..."** Vahn's hand tightened a bit on Shera's shoulder, now understanding why she'd screamed so loudly.

Shera obviously loved her brother very much, seeing as she hadn't given up hope on him in the entire time she'd lived in Rim Elm. Having him turn into the beast that he was sure had made her wake up many times before from nightmares would easily be enough to cause her to scream. He couldn't help but shudder as he imagined seeing his own sister undergo the same transformation, or Mei, or worse...Shera herself.

Seeing Gala shift his shoulders, he was able to understand the terror that Shera had woken up in. The monk turned his attention to the pot that was hanging over the fire, his eyes slightly distant.

"**Hopefully we'll be able to get to Jeremi by the end of the day."** Shera glanced at Vahn, and nodded a little, resting her elbows on her knees. Her eyes turned to the fire, focusing on a cinder that was sitting at the edge of the fire.

Noa woke up a short while after the others, and looked between them all before yawning loudly and cheerfully greeting them. Shera couldn't help but smile a little at her, but didn't look away from the fire.

Once the sun was well up, they packed up their small camp and started to walk, the boys glancing occasionally at the brunette. She ignored the looks, spinning one of her tonfas idly as she walked. Noa noticed the odd looks, but didn't say anything about it, guessing rather correctly that something had happened before she woke up.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera's tonfas were thrumming like normal as the tower that marked Jeremi emerged from around a mountain as they walked through a valley. She paused to look back at the others, as she was walking point, and gestured towards it with a small grin of relief. It was midday, so they'd made much better time than any of them had expected. They'd walked along the coast rather than follow the road, mostly for Shera's sake, though they'd had to take to the road once they hit the mountain.

"**There's Jeremi. Finally. Doesn't look too far."** Vahn nodded as he reached Shera's side, taking his turn carrying the satchel. Noa was being oddly calm as she trotted along just ahead of Gala, having been pestering him, trying to convince him to help her learn to fight better. Shera hadn't been the only one to notice he was good at teaching.

"**Great. We'll be there well before nightfall. Probably can even get the tree revived before then."** Shera smiled at that suggestion. She stretched, her shoulders popping softly, and then started to walk again, continuing her role as point for the traveling group.

An hour later, and they were rounding the large wall around the city. Shera's eyes were wide with awe as she tilted her head back, looking at the garden atop the tower. It wasn't out of the Mist, but it was _so __**tall**_!

"**How does the tower stay up?"** Noa asked the question that Shera had in her mind. Even Vahn looked impressed. Gala crossed his arms and chuckled at them.

"**It was built a certain way so that it doesn't fall down. Come, let's hurry."** Shera nodded, and trotted forwards, eager to get a closer look at the strange tower.

Shera paused as she reached a bridge between islands in a dry lake. She leaned forwards a little, squinting at the vague shapes ahead of her through the Mist. Vahn and the others stopped behind her, waiting to see what it was that Shera had spotted. Noa figured it out first, and gasped, bouncing up and down.

"**Vahn! It's the Mist! Everyone's turned into monsters in the Mist!"** Shera nodded to Noa's comments, straightening back up and turning to look at the others.

"**I can feel the Genesis Tree, but I can't tell where. I can't see any plants through the Mist, so I'm guessing that it's in the gardens. The tourist guide did say that there were gardens, right?"** Vahn nodded in response to Shera. The other three looked to Ozma as it glowed blue, and Shera crossed her arms, waiting for one of them to tell her what the Ra-Seru was saying.

"**How exciting! I want to go! I want to go to the high place!"** Shera blinked at Noa, and sighed. Gala seemed to have the exact same reaction and facial expression. The two brunettes glanced at each other, and smirked. Shera turned and started to walk, glancing from side to side as she spun her tonfas at her sides.

Before they got too far, Shera dropped to a crouch as a familiar spinning Seru flew over her head. She turned and cracked her tonfa against it before getting sent to the ground with a yelp as something else attacked her.

Vahn was at her side in a heartbeat, slashing the strange flying fish with both of his swords. Noa and Gala went after the Nighto that had attacked Shera first, killing it quickly. The fish fell to the ground shortly after, and Vahn turned to see Shera getting up, rubbing her shoulder.

"**I'll have to remember to keep an eye out for flying shapes in the mist. I couldn't hear that fish coming."** Vahn nodded, just glad that she was alright.

"**That Nighto was stronger than the ones in the forests."** Vahn looked to Gala, who seemed to be concerned.

"**The Mist here is stronger, so it makes sense that the Seru are stronger as well. Though it seems that the monsters are weaker within the walls than they were without."** Gala hummed a little before looking to Vahn, who nodded to Shera's observation.

"**The butterflies were harder to take down than that fish was. Come, let's explore. If the Seru are stronger, we may need to scrounge some supplies. We'll repay any shopkeepers after we clear the Mist."** Shera nodded, and shook her shoulders loose before tossing her braid back so that it once more hung between her shoulder blades.

"**Perhaps we would be able to do so better if we split up? We've proven that we work well as a team now, and if the monsters are weaker, it should be easier on us."** Shera frowned slightly, not sure what she thought of the idea. Noa was bouncing, as normal. Vahn, however, nodded.

"**Makes sense to me. Alright, Noa, you go with Gala. Make sure you keep an eye out for each other. Shera, you're with me."** Shera sighed a little, but nodded to Vahn, glad that he was making decisions like the leader he was being forced to be.

The two groups split up, with Noa and Gala heading west and Vahn and Shera going east. Shera had to skip around to dodge a human-like monsters that suddenly rushed at her. She smacked it hard with her tonfa, glancing at Vahn as he rushed a kabuki rat with a yell.

The glance cost Shera, and she stumbled back with a ringing head, holding her tonfas up to block another punch from the ogre. She shook her head a little to clear it, and scowled at the ogre before ducking underneath another of its punches and slamming the short end of her right-hand tonfa into its gut. She took a half step back as it doubled over, and spun her left-hand tonfa into its forehead, which was now within reach. It crumpled in a heap on the ground.

Wingbeats made Shera tense, though she dropped it as she saw it was just a Vera that Vahn had summoned. She nodded her thanks to the blunette as he walked over and stabbed the ogre through the back of the neck.

"**Nice work. How'd you get hit?"** Shera sighed and rubbed the side of her wrist on her head. Her eyes moved through the Mist constantly, making sure that they weren't getting snuck up on. Vahn's eyes were roaming behind her, doing the same task.

"**I glanced towards you to see why you'd yelled. Wasn't focusing on my target enough."** Vahn chuckled a little, and shook his head before gesturing for her to follow him.

"**I'm flattered you were concerned. Come on, looks like there's a shop here."** Shera trotted ahead of Vahn, silently. She didn't even spin her tonfas, apparently aware that the sound of her tonfas alerted enemies to her presence as well as her allies.

Shera slipped into the shop warily, as Vahn watched, peering through the open door before sliding in with her tonfas ready. An odd chirp made the blunette look up, and, he dodged the attack of one of the spikefish duo that decided to ambush him. A slash to the first one, and he ducked under a second attack before impaling the second on his off-hand sword.

The brunette poked her head out the door as Vahn sheathed one of his swords to rub his shoulder, and rolled her eyes as she saw the odd floating fish. She slid back into the building, and Vahn trotted to join her, recognizing that she'd made sure that it was clear of enemies.

The shop had a Seru monster behind the counter, but it simply stared at them, moaning eerily. Shera was moving to the counter, and jumped over it to grab something in a dust pile. She was back over the counter before the Seru monster had time to react, dusting off her find. She held it up with a slight smile.

"**Fourth phoenix. Everyone can have one on them now."** She tossed the amulet to Vahn, tugging her own out from under her armor to show it to him. The blunette rolled his eyes a little with a slight smirk before turning the amulet over in his hand and tugging the leather thong over his head.

"**Let's keep looking."** Shera nodded and trotted to the stairs to the basement as Vahn went over the first floor carefully, making sure that there wasn't anything loose that they could use. Shera clattered up the stairs shortly, twisting to look down the steps as soon as she was above the top step. She noticed the concerned look that Vahn sent towards her, and smiled a little.

"**Seru monster in the basement. Found a chain of some sort on the ground, though."** She held up the dull silver chain, and Vahn nodded. **"The Seru monster downstairs is faster than the one up here, though. I wouldn't suggest searching it more thoroughly. Let's go search the next building." ** Vahn nodded with a small grin, and led the way out, both swords ready in case there were monsters lying in wait for them.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

**End Note:** ~finishes setting up bunker and hides in it~ Okay, I know some of you are gonna be pissed about the thing with Deven. But killing me will just end the story here!

And there's a Genesis Tree coming up. Could Shera be getting a Ra-Seru of her own? Would I really force her to keep going without a Ra-Seru? Gonna have to wait to find out!

**_Read, Enjoy, and Review!_**


	15. Spring Tide

**Authoress' Notes:** I am so sorry that I took so long off of writing. I hate english class. Espeically when it's based on research. It should be fed to Juggernaut. That way it serves at least some purpose other than torturing college students.

That doesn't take the blame off of myself, though. I had an entire week off of work as a paid vacation, and I didn't so much as touch the story. I guess I was being lazy.

**"blah"** - people talking

**"blah"** - Ra-Seru talking

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia. I only own Shera and the ideas that I came up with to bolster the game's holes.

**Chapter 14:**

**~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~**

Shera waved to Noa and Gala as she saw them approaching. She and Vahn were waiting for them by the base of the tower. They'd found a few more things in the other buildings, though they'd definitely found the best things in the shop. The only other thing of note that they'd found had been a healing plant bud in someone's garden. It must have rained enough during the ten-year period to feed the garden, though not enough to keep the lake full.

Noa and Gala both looked like they'd been through a few fights, themselves, but they looked slightly pleased with themselves. Gala glanced upwards, and Shera looked to Vahn, who opened the door and peered inside.

"**It's clear. Let's get inside."** Shera was next to slip inside, and gestured towards a table.

"**Got enough space to see what we've got right here."** Vahn pulled out the two items that Shera had found, and set them on the table as Noa pulled out a water canteen and Gala pulled out a bottle and a ring.

"**Is that a Target Chain? That's quite the find."** Gala tugged the chain over to him and turned it over in his hand. **"It's supposed to help your attacks connect, though I've never seen one used."** Vahn was digging in the bag that had been set on the table, and came out with something that looked like a compass.

"**You can hold onto it, then, Gala. What's this do? I forgot that we never did find out."** Gala secured the chain around his belt, the metal glinting as it rested, twined around the worn leather several times.

"**A Silver Compass? I forget where we found that. It helps the bearer warn of ambushes. Maybe Shera should keep it. She's been able to take notice of the monsters faster than the rest of us."** Vahn nodded and handed the compass to Shera, who attached it to her own belt. She blinked and looked down at it again before lifting an eyebrow and shrugging.

Noa had the ring, and refused to let it go. Gala, once he'd explained that all it did was increase the wearer's pain tolerance, said that it wouldn't be a bad idea to leave it to her, and Vahn decided to give in and let Noa keep it.

"**Next thing we find that does something, you get it."** Vahn sent a flat look to Shera as she clapped him on the shoulder, but sighed and shook his head anyway.

"**Doesn't matter. Let's start climbing. The tree's at the top of the tower."** The others nodded in agreement, and they all headed to the door in the back of the room, that seemed to lead to the tower.

Vahn opened the door to let Shera in first, who scanned the room to make sure that they weren't about to get ambushed. A singe flip of her tonfa told the others that it was clear for them to come through.

The room they'd entered looked covered in dirt that likely slipped down from above, giving the whole area a dirty, brown feel. The stones below their feet were uneven, making Noa stumble just a little. She caught herself, and straightened up, looking around.

"**Big stairwell? Should we try that?"** Shera looked up at the ceiling, and shrugged a little before padding towards what appeared to be the central column.

Vahn noticed abruptly that her boots barely even made a noise on the ground. She looked at the door and pushed at it for a moment before poking at a plaque next to the door. After another moment, she kicked the door with a scowl on her face as the others caught up with her.

"**No luck. Door won't open. How're we supposed to use the stairs if we can't get the door open?"** Gala chuckled a little and Shera, who narrowed her eyes at him.

"**I think it isn't a stairwell. We encountered something in the Mist Generator that replaced it. I suppose this one just doesn't have any power."** Shera tilted her head to the side, and glanced at Vahn, who nodded.

"**There are others in the corners. We'll just have to take that way up."** Shera sighed, and shrugged, letting her shoulders droop for a moment.

"**Whatever. Lead the way."** Vahn sighed slightly at the aggravated tone in his childhood friend's voice, recognizing it as her being frustrated with her position in the group.

Shera's frustration didn't stop with being reminded that she was a tag-along, as the route to the top of the tower was through a maze of broken walls and irregular floors, and full of Seru and monsters. Including Shera's old friend, the specter. Meta called it a Guardian, so Vahn had to guess it was there to protect the tower and simply mistook Shera for an intruder. Or maybe she was right and ghosts of all sorts just liked to torment her.

"**RRRGH!"** Gala couldn't help but laugh at Shera as she huffed at the fading ghost, her face red with anger. Vahn groaned a little as he looked around, making sure that no more enemies were after them. Meta and Terra had already absorbed a Swordie each, which the Ra-Seru informed them was a wind elemental Seru. It certainly didn't look like one. Vahn was of the opinion they looked like oversized bats that had traded their wings for blades. **"Stupid things won't leave me alone!"** Noa's eyes were wide at Shera's rage, which was understandable, seeing as the brunette had displayed the vocabulary that she'd learned from the fishermen in Rim Elm.

"**Shera..."** The brunette turned on the ball of her foot to glare at Gala, who took a step back and almost fell over, thanks to the uneven ground. He saved himself by grabbing onto a large root that was growing down from the ceiling and covering the walls.

"**Easy, Shera. Save your anger to take out on the enemies."** The brunette huffed, and turned to look at the maze of a level. The farther up they went, the more roots they saw. Shera was, frankly, a bit concerned as to how stable the rocks were, what with the roots growing straight through them and cracking them into pieces.** "Anyhow, it looks like we might be there. That large elevator comes out here."** They all looked and saw that the blunette was right.

"**Which means that that door there is the exit."** Shera was the first one to the door, and she yelped before carefully walking out and sliding to the side. Her reaction told the others to slow down, and they soon saw the reason why.

"**Woah. That isn't safe."** Vahn carefully peered down over the edge of the platform, keeping his body well back. There were railings, but they were crumbling piles of rust, having been exposed to the elements for so long.

"**No kidding. Shera, wait for us!"** The brunette was already out of sight, well away from the edge. Vahn went up the stairs several at a time, leaving Gala to make sure that Noa didn't fall off the tower to her death.

Vahn caught up with the brunette by a red box, and she was crouching next to it with her back to a hedge. The leader of the group sighed a little with relief as he saw that she had kept in mind all the monsters in the area.

"**You're going to make my hair turn gray, the way you run off without warning."** Shera smirked at the comment, and turned her head to look at Noa and Gala as they finally came up the stairs.

"**Oh, you found the offerings chest!"** The redhead dashed forwards to where the other two were, and opened the chest so quickly that the others thought the hinges were about to break.

Shera had to grab Noa's arm to keep her from falling head-first into the chest in her haste, and shook her head at the eager girl. Vahn scooped out the contents as Gala sighed, and held them up. There were only three, much fewer than had been in the other chests they'd found.

"**A speed elixir, Speed Ring, and a Forest Amulet. Not bad, but not what I was expecting to see."** The ex-monk leaned over the box to peer inside, and clicked his tongue in disappointment. He'd noticed that Shera was keeping an eye out for them all.

"**I can guess at what the ring does, but what does the amulet do?"** Shera got distracted, and padded away without Vahn noticing, disappearing around the corner of the hedge.

"**I'm not sure, though I've read that they were indispensable for warriors. Especially ones that guard villages from monsters."** Vahn nodded, and tossed the ring to Gala. He tucked the amulet under his own belt before looking around. An alarmed look crossed his face, and he looked around more.

"**Where'd-!"** A yell from the missing brunette sent all three of them racing around the hedge corner, with Vahn catching up to and passing Noa.

There, at a dead end, was Shera, fighting a spike fish. She had a slight cut on her left arm, though she was using that arm as easily as before. Vahn ran over to help her, only to find that the fish was dead by the time he got there.

Gala yelled behind them, but only got a glance as Vahn grabbed Shera by the shoulders and shook her a little, ignoring the slight wince as his hand pressed on her injury. Noa yelled as well, a battlecry.

"**Stop running off like that! What if we weren't near enough to help and you were attacked by a Seru?!"** Shera blinked at Vahn's yelling, genuinely taken aback. Vahn wasn't letting go, though, nor was he done. **"I understand you're excited, but this sort of action is what I'd expect from Noa, not you! What are you **_**thinking?!**_**"** Shera was silent, her sea-colored eyes wide and her mouth open a little.

"**Vahn, go easy on her. Nothing happened."** Vahn let go of Shera, who stumbled back a couple of steps, her eyes still wide as her right hand moved up to cover her injury. It was bleeding a bit more than before. **"She scared us, yes, but she was handling herself well. I wager that even a Seru here wouldn't be a match for how we saw her fighting at the monastery."** Vahn huffed, and walked away a little. Gala lifted an eyebrow at him, and shook his head before walking up to Shera, pulling the pouch of healing things out of the satchel, which he'd taken up. **"Reacting to the stress more than I thought he would."** Shera winced as the sap of a healing leaf dripped onto her wound, and she bit the corner of her lip.

"**I thought that I'd figured a way through to the tree. The hedges make a maze. I was experimenting with my sensing, seeing as the hedges are alive, but I guess it only works on animals."** Gala sighed a little, and carefully washed the sap off of Shera's arm, using a water canteen that she didn't recognize. He must have found it in the town.

"**Don't take what he said personally. You really did scare him. I didn't see him move that fast even in the Mist Generator."** Shera bowed her head, hiding her glum mood by looking at her wound, running her callused fingers over where it had been.

"**...I really am holding everyone back, aren't I? Everyone has to keep an eye on me, make sure that I'm alright..."** She grunted as Gala swatted her on the head, and lifted her left hand to rub the spot, one eye closed as she looked up at him.

"**Don't even let yourself start thinking in that way,"** the ex-monk scolded her. A glance over his shoulder proved that Noa had trotted after Vahn, not sure what to make of the situation, but knowing better than to let their leader go off on his own. **"It's the Mist affecting how you think. Just because you don't have a Ra-Seru like the rest of us doesn't mean that you're useless in this group. You're Vahn's right hand. You keep him in check, and keep him balanced. That's why he was so frightened when he thought you were in danger."** The tall man had a feeling there was something else behind the way the leader had reacted, but he had no proof.

Shera sighed a little, still rubbing her head and looking to the side. She knew that Gala was right, but it didn't help her emotions. Vahn had never yelled at her before, even when they were younger and doing some chore together. She'd picked up on almost every chore slowly.

"**Come on, let's go see if they found a way through the maze."** The female brunette looked at the male, and nodded, walking softly along after him. Gala had to pause and glance back a couple of times to make sure that she really was following him.

Vahn had calmed down a fair bit by the time they found him and Noa, though he looked like he'd fought a few things in that short period of time, too. He frowned a little at Shera, but didn't say anything.

"**Looks like there's a way through here! And look, there's the tree!"** Shera looked to where Noa was pointing, and smiled, her mood lifting as soon as she saw the bright green tree.

"**Let's go. The sooner we revive the tree, the sooner we can rest. The sun's going down."** They all nodded to Vahn's declaration, and Noa trotted forwards to act as point and pick their path. Vahn gently grabbed Shera's elbow, and glanced to Gala, who nodded his understanding and watched from the rear of the group. **"Shera...I'm sorry I blew up at you."** The brunette looked at her friend from the corner of her eye, and smiled slightly. He sighed, recognizing it as the polite one she'd mastered, and often offered to the Elder. She was still sore at him.

"**Hey, who's this?"** Noa's words made them all perk to attention, and Shera trotted forwards, with Vahn close behind. Gala was several steps behind, but had also hurried forwards. A blue glow made Shera glance towards Gala, a slight frown on her face. She hated not hearing all of the information, and had a sneaking suspicion that Vahn and the others didn't tell her everything that she felt they should.

"**A Seru? I didn't know Seru could be this weird."** Shera's body tensed, her eyes on the green and purple form. She took a step back as Vahn stepped in front of her. The gesture likely made both of them feel only marginally better, though neither paid attention to that, trying to decide what their next move would be. Noa decided for them, with the warm glows of Terra and Meta to spur her on.

"**Let go! Let go of the Genesis Tree right now!"** The Seru's body flashed, and Noa was sent flying backwards. Gala and Vahn moved to catch her, with Shera having been only starting to move to help. **"Hey!"** The boys set Noa back on her feet, and Shera looked towards the Seru, which was peeling itself off the Genesis Tree.

"**Shera, back!"** The brunette glared at the one she'd left the village for, but backed up to the hedge behind her. Gala had moved in front of the others, a glare pointed at the Seru.

"**The only way to revive the Genesis Tree is to defeat him first! Let's go!"** Shera growled under her breath and started to edge to the side to get well out of the way of the fight.

As the brunette watched, her three companions rushed at the Seru, weapons out and ready. Her hands gripped her tonfas hard, wincing as Vahn ducked under a wild swing the Seru made at him.

A part of her still was drawn to the Genesis Tree, so much more so than any of the others. The Genesis Tree in East Voz Forest had scared her, true, but she couldn't quite place why, just like she couldn't say why she was drawn to the Genesis Tree here in Jeremi.

Vahn had been drawn to the Genesis Tree in Rim Elm even as a child, so Shera finally figured that it might have been because of the Ra-Seru within. He'd started to act slightly different outside of Rim Elm, she'd noticed. Less distractable, and less impulsive. She had started to feel as if everything around her was fascinating ever since entering Jeremi, and she supposed she had been acting much like Vahn had in Rim Elm.

Shera tensed as the Seru spat some sort of gas at Gala, who fell backwards as if it had hit him with the force of one of the Seru's physical attacks. The Seru turned to look at Shera, whose eyes widened. She dashed towards the tree, hearing Vahn yell from behind.

When Shera next turned to look back at the battle, the Seru had turned its attention to Vahn, and Noa was healing Gala, who was kneeling and grimacing, holding his left arm. Even from where she was, the brunette could see that his arm was an unnatural color. The Vera that Noa summoned got rid of the discoloration, and the ex-monk nodded his thanks to the girl before rushing back into the fight.

Vahn glanced to Shera once Gala attracted the Seru's attention again, and nodded to himself as he saw that she was alright. Shera frowned as Vahn turned back to the fight, and backed up a bit more so that she was level with the tree.

Standing so close to the tree, Shera swore that her head was vibrating, and yet felt much clearer than she could remember it being since the Drake Kingdom. She didn't realize just how heavily the Mist affected how she thought. Her eyes kept sliding to the tree, and she marveled at the slight blue tone to its bark. She'd never seen a tree that was blue before. Flowers, yes, but never a tree.

The bark was cool to the touch, she found, and smooth; it was drastically different from the Genesis Tree in Rim Elm, which had always had rough bark and was warm to the touch. The brunette gasped slightly as she spotted a blue glow emerge from the tree, and backed up a step, her eyes widening. There had, indeed, been a Ra-Seru within the tree.

"**Greetings.**

**I am Mule, a Ra-Seru.****"**

Shera's eyes widened as she heard the voice reverberating in her head. Her mouth dropped open, taking in the sight of the serpent-like Ra-Seru floating in front of her. A yell of pain made Shera turn her head to look towards Vahn, concern crossing her face. He was backing away from the Seru, pressing the wrist of his left arm to his cheek to stem the blood that was seeping from a cut.

"**Your friends are embroiled in battle.**

**Do you wish to join them?**

**As you are now, you will not be of help,**

**But if you and I join forces, we will be able to turn the tide of battle.**

**Do you wish this?****"**

Shera hesitated for only a moment before nodding, reaching out to touch the Ra-Seru with her right hand. A bright, light blue light shone from the Ra-Seru, and the brunette gasped as she felt cool metal twine around her arm before her sense of touch expanded to the outside of that metal. The light faded, and she blinked at the Ra-Seru that was now her partner.

Mule wasn't exactly blue, just as her eyes weren't exactly blue. Both were the shade of the sea, somewhere between blue, green, and gray. The Ra-Seru had twined around Shera's right arm, a knob that housed a bright blue jewel resting on the back of her hand, with the body of the serpent-like Ra-Seru careful to not get in the way of Shera's tonfas. It didn't twine all the way around her arm, but rather curved back on itself. The 'tail' of the creature was simply a shimmering pattern that was laid on top of her arm as if it were a second skin.

As Shera stared at her new partner and marveled at how well she was still able to move her hand and wrist, the creature apparently was adjusting a bit as well. Shera jumped a little as the jewel glowed softly, hearing Mule's voice in her head again.

"**It seems as though you and I are a better match than I had anticipated. Come, let us help your friends- and mine!****"** Shera nodded, unable to keep from grinning as she felt the power that the Ra-Seru granted her seep through her body, making her tingle slightly from head to toe.

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Vahn panted as he backed up, his arms already aching from the blows he'd given the Seru. He had a bleeding cut on his cheek from when he'd rushed the Seru when it had turned to Shera. The brunette was safe now, though, over by the Genesis Tree.

"**Vera!"** Vahn's aches faded a little as he heard Noa's yell and the wingbeats of the Vera as it healed him. Another yell made the bluenette lift his head up with a startled look on his face.

The Seru, which Meta had told him was called Berserker, screeched in pain as Carm wood tonfas landed a flurry of blows as their wielder danced past it. A familiar brown braid brushed Vahn's shoulder as Shera spun to a stop right next to him, a confident smile on her face as she spun her tonfas.

"**What are you **_**doing**_**?!"** Shera glanced to Vahn for a moment, not losing her slightly smug smirk.

"**Chill. Mule is protecting me."** Shera's words confused Vahn for a moment, though he heard Gala chuckle briefly after glancing to Shera, and staring at her right arm for just a moment.

"**You can't summon any Seru yet, so just go to town on that thing."** Shera glanced to Noa at her comment, and nodded, not losing her smirk still. Berserker shuffled forwards and snapped its whip-like arm at the brunette. Vahn jumped to one side as Shera slipped under the attack and battered the Seru's head and body.

It was only then that Vahn spotted the metal shape on Shera's arm and understood what had happened. She was no longer the one he had to worry about turning into a Seru Monster because he hadn't paid close enough attention. He no longer had to worry about getting Mei's sister back to the village in one piece at the end of this journey.

A yelp, and the brunette was tossed back, coughing. She'd been hit by the Berserker's gas attack, though he couldn't see any discoloration on her arms. He summoned a Vera quickly, and sent it over to his childhood friend to heal her up quickly before lunging at the Seru to attack it himself.

Shera rubbed an occupied hand against her chestplate, wincing a little. She felt as though she'd been hit in the chest by a large hammer, and all that had hit her was air! She was a bit ashamed to admit that she'd underestimated the Seru, but it was true.

She lunged back into the battle, blocking the Seru's claws with one tonfa as she slammed the short end of the other into one of the two vine-like structures that made up its body. She stepped out of the way a little as Gala charged in as well, seeming to move a little faster than normal, as if his body were lighter.

Shera paused in attacking and jumped back suddenly, her eyes hard as she gestured for the rest to back away as well. Gala did the same, though Vahn and Noa were slow to follow the example, not sure what the two brunettes had sensed. The Seru wasn't rushing any of them, just standing there.

Then a circle of eerie indigo light started to come from the ground around its feet. Ghostly stone pillars rose up around the group of four, translucent at first, and then becoming frighteningly solid. Gala and Shera slid into guard stances, with Vahn and Noa doing the same shortly after. All four Ra-Seru glowed, offering a bit more protection from whatever attack was about to come.

A shockwave of energy came from the Seru, knocking them all into the pillars. Vahn could have sworn that the pillars were actually there, and that he'd cracked his, but for the fact that when he staggered back to his feet, none of them remained. He grimaced and glanced to the others, assessing their injuries. Shera was kneeling with a hand on her head and a tonfa on the ground, but she got back up, albeit unsteadily.

"**Vera!"** Vahn nodded as he saw that Gala was making sure that Shera didn't fall, and hefted his swords, looking at Berserker again.

All four of them assaulted the Seru after they were sure that they were all healed up from that attack. Shera made sure to avoid hitting her friends as she swung her tonfas, and Vahn did the same with his swords. Under the combined attack, Berserker finally fell.

Shera panted hard as she stared at the fading form of the Seru, blinking sweat out of her eyes. She put her tonfas away and rubbed her right forearm, only to blink at it as she realized it wasn't exactly in the same form as she remembered. She smiled as she saw the Ra-Seru on her arm, which glowed slightly.

"**Excellent work, Shera! You are quite the warrior!****"** Vahn did a double-take at Shera's arm for a moment before he remembered that Shera had indeed gotten the Ra-Seru from the Genesis Tree while he, Noa, and Gala were battling the Berserker.

"**Mule! It's good to see you safe! I see you've met Shera.****"** A warm but deep masculine tone echoed to Shera's mind, and she looked confused for a moment before spotting the red glow of Meta.

"**So that's how you could hear the others,"** Shera remarked to her human companions while the Ra-Seru chatted and got caught up. Noa nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Shera flexed her arms, looking down at herself. Her armor was one big scuff, despite how well she'd been caring for it. Her boots were doing well enough, though they were much newer than her armor was. It was the only thing that she still had on from Rim Elm, aside from the necklace that Mei had given her.

"**Man...Mei's not gonna be happy, seeing this armor...There's no way it's fit to battle in anymore..."** Shera glanced up to see Vahn looking at his own armor, which was in worse shape than Shera's. Bits of leather were hanging off of his armor where they weren't supposed to, gouged out by the claws of various Seru and monsters. The armor that Shera's sister had made for the two of them was meant for hunters, who didn't do such heavy fighting.

"**No kidding. And she spent more time on yours than she did on mine. I suppose part of it was because you're still growing, but the fact's still there."** Vahn glanced up at her, and smiled a little awkwardly.

"**Yeah, I guess that's true. Come on, we need to revive the tree before another Seru comes along for us to fight."** Shera chuckled at the sentiment, and walked with the rest of them to the Genesis Tree.

They each walked up to the tree and held out the hand that they had offered to the Ra-Seru. A red glow started from Meta, followed by a green one from Terra and a deep blue one from Ozma. Shera glanced at the others, and saw the awe on their faces before she also lifted her hand to press her fingertips against the tree. That awe-filled look slid onto her face as well.

It was hard to describe, but what she felt in the palm of her hand was cool, and peaceful. It spread from her hand to wash over her entire body, relaxing muscles that had tensed up from the fight. Her head cleared even more. She was able to hear the wind as it whistled in from across the sea, carrying the scent of salt. She could feel the smooth bark under her hand, the sweat trickling down her back, the wind as it smoothed over her exposed arms. She could smell all the heady scents of the flowers in the garden as they waved in the salty breeze.

A bright light, no brighter than the lights that came from the hands of the other three, but much paler than Gala's, shone from her hand before leaving it, taking the sensation of peace with it. She dropped her arm slowly as her light, along with the lights of the others, arched through the air before sliding down into the trunk of the tree.

The Genesis Tree flashed blue before it shone brightly, though Shera didn't look away from it. She had to blink spots from her eyes afterwards, but as she took a few steps backwards, she craned her head back to watch the Genesis Tree grow and bloom. The brunette couldn't help but smile as she felt the Genesis Tree's power grow, feeding into Mule and making her stronger. It was a strange feeling, but not an unpleasant one.

"**Terra and I are even stronger! This is great!"** Noa's exclamation made Shera come back to earth, and she blinked at the energetic girl, feeling the remnants of the pure peace that she had felt slip away like water through sand.

"**So this is how the Ra-Seru become stronger..."** Shera lifted her arm to look at Mule, and blinked as she saw that the shimmering pattern that served as her Ra-Seru's tail now had lifted off of her skin, creating a fin of sorts near her elbow. That same shimmering pattern formed a line down the 'spine' of her Ra-Seru, though as Shera ran her fingers over it, she couldn't detect any raised pattern.

"**Yes. The Ra-Seru use the waves of power from the Genesis Trees to boost their own power, but not by much. That power is needed to push back the Mist, after all."** Shera turned her wrist back and forth, watching the light play off of the newest addition to her life.

"**Is that what it is? I wasn't sure. It looks like Ozma has changed a bit, too."** The clear blue gem on the back of Shera's hand glittered in the sunlight as it was filtered through the leaves of the Genesis Tree. Noa was running around the tree, laughing as she burned yet more energy. Shera could understand how she could have so much energy, now, too. She felt as though she hadn't just fought a battle with a creature that could have easily killed her had it been smart enough to focus its attacks on her and her alone.

"**Yeah. The Ra-Seru's appearance changes as they grow. Meta wasn't much bigger than a bracer when I first met him."** A glance to the red Ra-Seru, and Shera could see that the creature had indeed grown since she'd first seen it.

"**Terra's a bit bigger than just a glove now, too!"** Noa had stopped bouncing around to give a bit of input to the subject, though she did still have a very wide grin on her face. Shera couldn't help but smile slightly, though her eyes drifted back to the Ra-Seru that was her partner.

She couldn't really get over that fact. Mule was hers and she was Mule's. Their fates were bound together now, and...she didn't mind. In fact, she was glad for it.

All her life, she'd been mostly alone. Mei would go off to her sewing as the two sisters got older, leaving Shera with nothing to do if Tetsu was busy with something else. Even Vahn tended to have chores to do most of the time, so she couldn't bother her only friend. Shera had accidentally proven time and again that chores shouldn't be given to her, if they were to be done right.

She hadn't been completely alone like Noa had, so she wasn't terrified of being alone like the poor girl was, but still...And she had yet to meet anyone that she could speak her mind to that would fully understand what she was talking about. Even the monks weren't able to keep up with her. Those that were eldest knew enough to keep up, but were set in their ways and not able to understand how she'd jump from one idea to the next.

Mule...Mule was different. She could feel it. The Ra-Seru was all but dozing, not fully awake from his long slumber inside the Genesis Tree. But she could feel a sense of intelligence from him. And being connected to her as he was, he'd be able to understand when her mind connected two things that made no sense to another. She'd be able to share her disquieting dreams with him, about boxes that spoke, rooms that moved along roads, and other strange, outlandish things that she couldn't have made up.

"**Shera? Are you alright? You're being awfully quiet."** Shera smiled a little meekly at Vahn, dropping her arms. Gala and Noa were looking at her as well.

"**I was just thinking. Sorry."** Vahn chuckled a little, crossing his arms. He didn't look like he was quite as used to the gesture as he used to be, quite likely thanks to Meta's presence on his arm.

"**Heh. I can understand that completely. The day after the Wall fell, I couldn't concentrate on anything. Hm?"** Vahn turned his head to look at the exit to the maze as two people came dashing out. The travelers trotted down the steps to greet them, well aware that they looked like they'd gone through quite a lot.

"**It was you who got rid of the Mist, right?"** Shera waited for Vahn to answer for the entire group, assessing the duo. She had a feeling that they had been Seru Monsters just a few moments ago, returned to their natural forms by the Genesis Trees, and, by connection, the Ra-Seru.

"**Yes, all four of us did."** Shera scratched the back of her head as Vahn included her in the feat, though she knew she had actually helped this time. All through the time she was traveling in the Drake Kingdom, she'd slowly been gaining the impression that she was just a tag-along. Someone to be protected. Someone to be guarded.

Now she was a member of the group in full, never mind that she'd been the first one to join Vahn. Never mind that she'd proven herself to the Biron Monks in a trail by combat. Now she had a Ra-Seru of her own. She could fight even the Seru the same as the others, and they would all be able to travel so much faster.

"**I knew it! Thank you so much!"** The man was unusually exuberant, grinning wide and clenching his hands as he crouched before jumping into the air. Shera lifted an eyebrow at him. He certainly looked older than the group of travelers, though his reaction was what she'd have expected from a child.

The woman had a much calmer reaction. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and sighed, tension leaving her frame. **"How wonderful! It's a miracle! Tell us how you did it, please!"** Shera looked at the others, a bemused look on her face. Vahn looked weary already. She had a feeling that he'd had his fill of explaining.

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**End Notes:** So, Mule has joined the team! I wasn't really sure how to protray the Berserker, though I did show off that stupidly powerful move of his, Stone Circle. Had to do a lot of thinking on how that would work.


	16. Tidal Pool

**Authoress's Note: **I'm so sorry for taking so long to update, on either story! I got caught up with NaNoWriMo, and ended up writing over 75k words. I've gotten so used to writing quickly now that I think I'll end up updating faster, after that month of writing.

On another note, the story that I wrote? I'm planning on getting it published. Eventually. I'm letting it sit for at least a month before I start editing it. It's a completely original story, and the world is one that I started to create about nine years ago, when I was in 7th grade.

I also got a drawing tablet for my computer, so I may end up posting links (or trying to) that lead to how I imagine Shera to look like, as well as some other characters for my other stories, including ones that I'll probably not end up uploading because they're so old.

I know I'm nowhere near finishing either of my current stories, but I would like to say that I do have more stories lined up for when I finish one or the other. If I finish this one first, I'll probably end up loading a story that I've been calling Tides of Time. If I finish my FF9 story first, I'll probably load either my FF8 story, or a Kingdom Hearts story that I've been working on. Neither are typical stories. I mean really. XD Since when have I written a typical story?

Anyhow, I've been rambling a bit too much. On to the story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legends of Legaia franchise.

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Chapter 15: Tidal pool

Shera yawned a little as she, Vahn, Noa, and Gala followed the woman that had apparently worked as the tour guide of the Sky Gardens led them to the express elevator, which was supposedly working again, chattering away on all the flowers and the like that grew in the garden. Shera had noticed; when she had run off and scared the tar out of Vahn earlier, she'd managed to get a few things off of a Healing plant. She didn't need to have her ear talked off.

The woman didn't stop talking even in the elevator, much to Shera's annoyance, though it seemed as though the others had stopped listening to her as well. Shera, still not used to the elevators, pressed a hand against the wall as she felt a slight lurch, her body tensing.

"**...Fastest elevator in existence! We'll be on the ground floor in just a few seconds! Even the people of Sol don't have..."** Shera ignored the woman after a few seconds of actually listening. The room shuddered, and Shera winced, halfway sure that the floor would drop out from under them.

It didn't, though. The door opened, and the woman herded the four warriors out before stepping out of the tiny room herself. The man that they had met in the gardens was talking animatedly with a balding man wearing a very nice, albeit threadbare, coat.

The men turned to look at the newcomers, and the balding man's eyes lit up as soon as he saw the warriors. He rushed towards them, slowing when he saw that all of them tensed instinctively. He had apparently encountered people that fought day in and day out before.

"**Vahn, Noa, Gala, and Shera! I heard the news! I'm so grateful to you all! You revived the Genesis Tree and saved my Jeremi from the Mist!"** Shera blinked at the possessive, and glanced to Gala, lifting an eyebrow. He shrugged a little. The man didn't look like a ruler, but he did look like someone in charge of a town. What was the term? Oh, right, it was mayor.

Shera had a feeling that it was a much better form of leadership than letting whoever was oldest tell everyone what to do, but she may have been biased because of her problems with the elder in Rim Elm.

"**The townspeople have rushed over to get a look at all of you!"** Vahn shifted like he wanted to cross his arms. A glance at him told Shera that he was uncertain about being in the center of a crowd. She'd noticed he wasn't entirely comfortable near King Drake, when they'd met him. **"Please, come this way."** The mayor stepped out of the dingy tower room, and the man that had greeted them at the top of the tower bounced on the balls of his feet, a wide grin on his face.

"**Perfect! Don't worry about a thing! When I told the townspeople about your brave deeds, they were ecstatic!"** The mayor slipped back into the room, a slightly stressed look on his face. That was to be expected, as Shera heard the rumble of a considerable crowd from the other room.

"**Oh, come now! The townspeople are so anxious to see you! Let's go!"** Shera exchanged a glance with Gala, who looked anxious himself, before looking to Vahn, who sighed slightly and walked towards the door. Noa trotted along behind him, wanting to see all the people that the two men were talking about. The brunettes followed after, somewhat wary of the crowd awaiting them. **"Alright, this way, please!"** They filed through the door, and the mayor pushed and pulled them so that they were in a line before clearing his throat.

Shera eyed the crowd. It wasn't nearly as big as she'd feared, though they were much more excited than she had anticipated. All of their faces lit up as they took note of them and their slightly battered appearances.

"**Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience. Wearing Ra-Seru, these heroes braved the Mist and revived the Genesis Tree! Here they are, the heroes who saved Jeremi! Vahn! Noa! Gala! Shera!"** Noa took a step forwards and waved to the crowd, a bright smile on her face. Shera stepped forwards as well, though mostly to ensure that she could grab Noa's arm and drag her back towards the door, if need be. The mayor stepped forwards and turned around to address the heroes, a genuinely kind smile on his face. **"Thank you, brave Ra-Seru heroes!"** Shera scratched the back of her head.

She was covered in dirt and sweat, and had a few remnant aches from when she'd been slammed into a disappearing stone pillar. She certainly didn't feel like a hero. She certainly didn't feel like she deserved the adoring looks she was getting from a few men she could see.

One of three girls that Shera assumed were dancers stepped out of the crowd, a look that rubbed Shera the wrong way on her face. She stopped in front of Vahn, a yard or so away, and held her arms in front of her chest. **"Vahn! I just adore you!"** Shera's eyebrow twitched.

"**Noa, you're so cute!"** The man that had walked forwards to smile charmingly at Noa made Shera's eyebrow twitch even more, and she reached forwards to grab Noa's elbow, pulling her back so that she was behind Shera.

"**Shera! You're so beautiful!"** The brunette sent the man that had complimented her an odd look, just about ready to start backing up, as if he were a dangerous animal she wasn't sure how to fight. He was eyeing her luridly, and Shera had a feeling she didn't want to know what was going through his mind. Her braid was falling apart, she knew, and she had sap and dirt smudged on her face. Hardly a picture of beauty.

"**Oh, I don't believe it! It's Gala!"** Shera started to back up now, feeling that the crowd was getting far too excited. She kept Noa behind her, and the girl had apparently figured out why Shera was suddenly so wary.

The mayor walked back in front of the heroes, recognizing the same frenzied atmosphere that had set Shera on edge. The crowd continued to press in, though. By the time Shera was even with Vahn again, near the door, she was thinking seriously about pulling out one of her tonfas to ensure that no one tried to do anything stupid.

"**Don't push! Everyone, please calm down!"** The mayor's yell seemed to have the opposite effect, with all the townspeople cramming in around the 'heroes', clamoring for their attention, for news, and in some cases, other things. **"Ooof! I'm being crushed! Mmff!" **Shera pushed Noa towards the girl, and the pressure at her back disappeared, the redhead sliding through the door to where she'd be safer.

A glance to Mule gave Shera an idea, which she shared with her partner. It was strange, but she didn't need to form her thoughts into words to communicate with her new friend. He could read her intentions as clear as if they were her own.

"**Through the door! The townspeople are far too excited! We'll have to wait until they calm down before we head to an inn for the night!****"** A glance from the other two, and they nodded, slowly moving to cover Shera as she backed away from the man that was still eyeing her in a distasteful manner. She sighed with relief as soon as she was through the door, glad to be back in the quiet, though dank, tower room. Vahn was next through the door, followed by Gala, who was towing the mayor with him. The door was quickly shut behind them.

"**I...apologize,"** the mayor wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Shera genuinely felt sorry for him. He'd been caught between the heroes and the crowd, and had been all but crushed. **"I didn't realize how excited the townspeople would be. We'll have to wait here until they disperse."** Shera shrugged, and moved to sit against the wall.

A soft glow from Mule told the others that she was getting acquainted with her partner, so they didn't bother her aside from handing her some food and water, when it was passed through the door by someone that had regained their senses.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera yawned as she woke the next morning, and blinked at the ceiling before sitting up. She looked around, a bit disoriented. She was wearing a clean shirt that fell to her knees, and was in a very comfortable bed.

There were three other beds, besides the one she was in, and the lumps in each of them suggested that Shera's companions were still asleep. A buzz like a yawn in her head made the brunette blink, and she lifted her right arm to look at the metallic addition to it.

"**Morning, Mule."** The Ra-Seru brushed his consciousness against Shera's. **"Hah. Still sleepy?"** She kept her voice down to keep from waking the others, though she could see that Gala was starting to stir. She moved to grab her trousers and breaststrap, putting both of them on before Gala sat up. She found the bag, laying on the table, and rummaged in it a bit to find her shirt.

"**Mmnn..."** Shera turned to look at Gala as he sat up, and smirked a little at his bed hair. Unlike the rest of the Biron Monks, Gala didn't have a shaved head. Instead, he simply wore his hair short. Normally it all stood straight up, but half of it was flattened by his pillow at the moment. **"It's morning?"** Shera nodded, and tossed Gala his shirt. He caught it and pulled it on before grabbing his trousers from the pile next to his bed and pulling those on. Shera pretended not to notice.

"**Just before or just after dawn. I'm not sure which."** Shera found her brush and undid her braid, dragging the brush through her long hair. Well, it was hers and Noa's, seeing as there wasn't really much point to having two brushes if they were trying to keep the weight of their things to a minimum.

"**About the time we normally get up. Should we leave a note for Vahn and see about getting some food?"** Shera glanced at Gala, a slight smile crossing her face.

"**I don't see why not. The two of us don't have brightly colored hair, so hopefully the townspeople don't recognize us and mob us."** Gala snorted at that, running his fingers through his hair. Shera rebraided her hair tightly, and tied the leather thong around the base of it to keep it in place before going back to her pile of things and scooping up her stockings and boots to put on.

"**No, the two of us are rather normal-looking, though I did spot several people about with hair just as strange as Vahn's."** Shera flashed a smile at Gala, glad that he understood that she was joking about Vahn's hair. While it was natural, like Mei's, it really stood out in a crowd. Brown was still the most common color of hair around.

Shera stomped slightly to check that her boots were on firmly as Gala pulled his own shoes on, his stockings having been on his feet all night long. Shera found a piece of paper and bit of charcoal for them to use, and scratched out a note for Vahn before grabbing the bag of their gold and taking a quarter of what they had, which would be more than enough for food. She slipped that into her own pouch before starting up the stairs. Gala trotted up after her.

"**Oh! I didn't know you got up so early!"** Shera turned to look at the woman in the tiny kitchen attached to the inn, and smiled slightly.

"**Every morning. Gala and I thought we'd wander around for a bit. Any place you'd suggest?"** The woman brushed what looked like flour off of her hands, sighing.

"**Well, it'll be a lean time for a while yet, but if anyone's bound to have food that's fit to eat still, it'd be the tavern. Folk as have lost loved ones are there, though, so I don't know if you wish to go there."** Shera and Gala exchanged glances. Shera lifted an eyebrow at him, and he sighed.

"**Well, it's not like we haven't been through such a situation ourselves..."** Shera nodded, and turned to the woman. **"Thank you. Could you tell Vahn where we went, if he comes up before we come back, please?"** The woman nodded, blinking, and Shera tugged Gala's arm for a moment before trotting out the door, looking for all the world like just another person, if not for the Ra-Seru on her arm.

"**Really? A tavern?"** Gala's voice was soft, hiding his slight concern from most of the people that they passed. **"With the Mist being gone, anyone at the place will hardly be fit to talk with."** Shera cast a glance over her shoulder at him, one eyebrow lifted.

"**I lost my father to a Seru just before the Genesis Tree awakened. I've fresh grief as well. I may be able to help some folk get through the hardest part of it: simply accepting the loss."** Gala paused for a moment, staring at Shera's back.

She must have heard his footsteps stop, because she also paused to look at him, propping her hands on her hips. There were only a couple people around, so there was next to no one staring at them. Those that were around looked considerably less awake than the two travelers.

"**I hadn't heard that about your father. I wouldn't have thought it was so recent."** Shera shrugged, and looked at the sky above, assessing the clouds.

"**He took me in after I washed ashore from the sea. He's not..."** She sighed, and closed her eyes. **"He wasn't related to me by blood."** Her tone had dropped as soon as she caught her mistake and corrected herself. She turned and started to walk away, and Gala sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

The ex-monk trotted to catch up, getting the feeling that he'd just managed to find a sensitive topic with Shera. He could still remember the frigid tone she'd used at Songi when the wayward monk had taunted her. He didn't want to have that pointed at him.

They were quiet even as they entered the tavern. The scent of baking bread came from the back, though it mingled with the scent of vomit and bodily fluids. Both Shera and Gala covered their noses with grimaces. A surprising number of people of various ages were sprawled all over the place.

Shera delicately covered her nose and picked her way through the tavern to the counter. The man behind the counter blinked at them as he turned to see who was there so early.

"**Good morning. Here for some food?"** Shera eyed the counter before leaning on it a little, hiding her Ra-Seru as much as she could.

"**Asked the innkeeper's wife, and she said that this would be the best place to get food so early in the morning."** The man smiled, and turned to pull some rolls out of the small oven and set them to cool.

"**Hahaha. I'm the first person in Jeremi to start baking each morning. Normally the tavern isn't used so...heavily in the evening."** They all glanced to the nearest drunk.

"**I can somewhat understand the reasoning behind the use. The Mist has affected everyone in one way or another. It takes more from some than from others."** Shera smiled wearily, and Gala shifted uncomfortably. The tavern keeper nodded, sighing a little.

"**It hurts to see so many of my friends feeling lost. The ones that survived, at least."** Shera nodded to the man, and Gala wandered around a bit, leaving the brunette to talk quietly with the tavern keeper.

Gala had lost quite a few people to the Mist, though many of them were while he was a child. He could dimly remember his parents, though that was because they'd died from a Seru attack, delivering him to the monastery. He'd then lost friends that could no longer stand staying indoors during the ten years between the Mist's arrival and the time it had been driven back. And then came Songi's betrayal.

Gala's fists clenched again, remembering. It had felt like a punch to the gut, finding out that his best friend had turned on the monastery. No, it hadn't been Songi. It couldn't have been. It was a twisted shadow of him. Twisted by the Ra-Seru that had tricked him. The Ra-Seru were holy, though, so how could that Ra-Seru have twisted him so?

"**Each Ra-Seru has an element, Gala.****"** The ex-monk looked down at Ozma as he glowed softly. **"****Lightning, fire, water, wind, earth, light, and dark.****"** Gala sighed at his Ra-Seru's 'help'. He still didn't understand what Ozma was hinting at. It wasn't the first time that the lightning Ra-Seru had told him about the elements.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Vahn sighed as he sat at the table in the inn, wondering just when Shera and Gala would come back. As if summoned, the two brunettes walked in. Shera had a bundle wrapped in a slightly threadbare cloth that smelled like fresh bread, and blinked as he saw her turn to grin lopsidedly at Gala.

"**Told ya he'd be up by now."** Gala rolled his eyes a bit before turning to smile slightly at the innkeeper. Another bundle of fabric that smelled of fresh baked bread was handed to her, and she smiled at him.

"**Thank you. The only things that I've left in my stores are oats, and they're fit only for porridge."** Shera grimaced a little at the mention of porridge, and Vahn snorted a little at her as she opened her bundle on the table. Noa soon came upstairs, yawning. Shera tossed one of the warm rolls to her, and she yawned into it, blinking blearily.

The door opened, and Shera turned her head to see who had entered the inn so early in the day. The only ones that she'd had thought would do so were already in the building, and while she'd seen some people from the town up and about, none of them had really taken any notice of her and Gala.

A glance to Vahn, and Shera had to turn to look at him again, an odd look on her face. Next to Vahn's hand was a thick book covered in red leather with ornate writing on the spine. Judging by the way Vahn had one of his handkerchiefs tucked between the pages, Shera had to guess that he'd been reading it.

By the time she looked back to the door, the mayor had entered, covering a large yawn with one of his large hands. He chuckled a little and spread his arms, though Shera could still see the lines under his eyes as she yawned slightly. He must have been up all night taking stock on how to keep his people alive until the next harvest.

"**Ah, I see you're all awake!"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at him. Even the man's voice held tinges of exhaustion. **"I'm so sorry about yesterday. I never thought that would happen! I have firmly instructed everyone not to cause any ruckus this time."** Shera and Gala shared a look over Noa's head; the ex-monk had firmly pushed the girl into one of the seats at the table before she fell over.

"**Last night? Well, it explains why everyone treated us as if we weren't there when we went for bread."** The innkeeper started to dish out what she'd been cooking, and Shera glanced, somewhat relieved as she saw that there were only three bowls. Vahn must have told her that Shera refused to eat much in the morning.

"**You went- Ah, you must have gone to the tavern. I apologize for what you must have seen there."** The mayor sighed, looking much older, suddenly. Shera felt a surge of pity for him. **"I've my hands full just keeping everyone fed. I wish I could bring peace to those who lost loved ones, but..."** Shera bit her lip, and plopped down in a chair, looking at Mule. As if the Ra-Seru was aware of her gaze, he started to glow softly. The others turned to look, recognizing when a Ra-Seru spoke, waiting for their own to echo Mule's words to them.

"**There is a way that we could ease his burden, some.****"** Shera frowned thoughtfully, tugging at her lower lip. It didn't take too large a jump in logic to figure out what Mule was hinting at, seeing as the two of them thought in the same way.

"**...Perhaps you could send to Drake Kingdom for aid? They've started to get back on their feet already, and were under the Mist for a shorter amount of time. For immediate supplies, I believe the Old Witch in the tunnel between the islands and the Drake Kingdom would be willing to send seeds..."** Gala grinned under his hand. The mayor was gaping at the woman, who had fixed his problem with barely a moment of thought.

"**You may have to find something to barter for the supplies, however."** Shera scratched the back of her head as she finally noticed she was getting stared at.

"**You make an excellent point. I'll go and ask the remnants of the council to convene at supper."** The mayor bowed slightly to the Ra-Seru heroes, and waved as he walked out of the inn.

Shera tucked her legs up on her chair, resting her heels on the edge of her seat. She nabbed a roll and picked at it, staring into space as she thought. Mule glowed on occasion, but the others didn't hear anything that he told his partner.

It wasn't until the others had finished their breakfast that she came back to reality. She looked much better than she had when she woke up, for sure. Vahn looked to be at ease as well, no longer stressed. The change made the others less stressed as well.

"**I'm going to wander around town more. I'll keep in touch."** Shera tapped Mule before she trotted out before any of the others could stop her. Vahn plopped back into his seat with a shake of his head, a wry smile on his face.

"**Headstrong as ever. The Ra-Seru will tell us if she runs into trouble, though."** Gala sighed a bit at Vahn's sudden relaxed nature, trying to get used to the sudden change in the group's dynamics.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Shera hummed as she trotted, smiling at people that greeted her shyly. Mule was a constant but gentle force on her awareness, drawing her attention here and there to things he thought were interesting, such as the fact that the pool around the small islands was full of water again, and the liveliness of the plants already.

"**Excuse me, miss?"** Shera turned as she crouched next to one of the garden beds, her fingers barely touching a flower bud. The man that had interrupted her contemplation of the plant. **"Might you be one of the Ra-Seru heroes?"** Shera giggled a little and stood, holding her right arm out in front of her. Mule glimmered a little in the light.

"**Yep! Did you need something?"** She looked over the man carefully. She was getting rather good at doing so, enough so that Vahn listened to her opinions. Gala had yet to learn, though.

The man had large hands, which were twisting a handkerchief. His brown eyes regarded her with hesitation, and his dark hair was tousled and damp, as if he'd only just washed his hair and ran his fingers through it to comb it. Like the rest of the people in the town, it seemed to be far longer than was fashionable. More likely than not, it was because of how long he had been in the Mist.

"**You and your companions will be traveling on soon, yes? Could you perhaps...bring a letter to Vidna for me?"** Shera blinked once before tilting her head, humming a little.

"**Vidna...I think that is the next town we're heading towards. Write up the letter and tell me where to find you, and I'll ensure that we bring it to its recipient."** The man's shoulders drooped with relief, and he tucked the handkerchief into a pockets.

"**I can't thank you enough. If you ask around for Zalan, the other townspeople should point you to my house."** Shera nodded, smiling a bit as she propped her hands on her hips.

"**Will do. When do you want us to come by? Tomorrow?"** Zalan hesitated, and then nodded. Shera was going to do her best to talk Vahn into waiting until tomorrow to leave, so that she could do her best to make sure that the town was well on its way to recovery. **"Alright, I'll find you tomorrow, then."** The man bowed slightly to her, and Shera bowed back before trotting off, her attention caught by something else.

Shera waved to one of the dancers that had greeted them the night before as she padded past, on her way to the tower. The three dancers seemed to be creating some new dance.

No one stopped Shera as she slipped through the door to the tower. She closed the door behind her and pressed the button for the elevator before looking around.

Torches had been lit and set up to light the previously dank area. While Shera was glad for the light, she wasn't sure she liked the smoke from the torches. Her eyes watered a little, and she felt like her nose itched. A lot of the tower needed fixing, though, and she was just passing through.

The elevator door opened, and Shera darted in before the door closed. A bit of smoke from the torches followed her, but the air in the elevator was otherwise clean.

"**Shera, these dreams of yours...the ones that keep popping into your head. Where are they from?****"** The brunette glanced down at the Ra-Seru on her arm, tapping her foot as she leaned against the elevator wall.

"**That's just it. I don't know. I've always dreamt of them, but I've never even heard a story that portrays such a bizarre place. I'd never even heard of an elevator before arriving here, and yet I've dreamt of them, too."** Mule vibrated, a thoughtful hum.

Shera yawned as her ears popped, and blinked as the elevator door opened. She scampered out, and stretched with another yawn as she strolled towards the door out. She kept glancing around, out of habit.

As soon as she stepped out the door, she felt the now-familiar buzz in the back of her head that was the Genesis Tree, as well as the tingling fascination with everything that came from this particular tree.

"**Mule, why does this happen, anyhow?"** Shera ignored the odd look she got from one of the gardeners that was tending to the hedges. She simply walked past them, looking at her right forearm.

"**That is your spirit's reaction to the tree's elemental affiliation. Your affiliation is the same, so your spirit and the tree's power is resonating. You likely have more energy than normal while up here.****"** Shera nodded to Mule's guess, smiling as she entered the clearing around the Genesis Tree.

"**I'm certainly more excitable."** Shera walked up to the Genesis Tree and sighed as she sat at its base, leaning back against it to look up at the leaves and branches. **"What's it like, being in the tree?"** Shera grinned as she felt the surprise that came from Mule. He hadn't expected her to be curious about that.

"**It's...very much like sleeping. I was aware when the Mist came to cover the land, but I could do nothing about it. It was quite frustrating.****"** Shera nodded, understanding. She'd been frustrated when she wasn't able to fight as well as the others, or travel as far or as long.

"**Where did you come from? Were you born from the Genesis Tree, or what?"** This time, a chuckle came from Mule. Shera certainly had a need for knowledge.

"**No, I was not. Like all Seru, I was born in the Seru-Kai. I came to this tree to wait for a human that I could work alongside. I came to wait for you.****"** Shera blushed a little at that, but didn't say anything to the contrary.

She continued to ask question after question to her Ra-Seru, learning more about the Seru-Kai, Ra-Seru, and the magic that they used. Mule told her all he could, leaving out only what he felt he needed to. He explained the rest so well that Shera wasn't even aware that he'd neglected to tell her anything.

Night was starting to fall when Vahn came to find Shera, looking a little concerned until he saw the energetic look on her face as she listened intently to her Ra-Seru. He shook his head as he stood by the hedge, smiling fondly. He'd first seen that look on her face when Tetsu had agreed to teach her how to fight.

"**Shera! You've been up here since breakfast, or thereabout!"** The brunette jumped at Vahn's voice, and popped to her feet as if she hadn't been sitting for hours. She trotted up to Vahn, smiling a bit.

"**Sorry. I wanted to find a quiet place to learn stuff from Mule. There's **_**so much**_** we don't know about the world! Like, did you know that if you go too high on a mountain, you won't be able to breath and you'll get sick? And that I can't have been in the ocean for longer than three hours because I wasn't dehydrated? And-"** Vahn simply chuckled as he let Shera ramble on, bouncing as they went back through the maze to the stairs and the elevator. It was at times like this that he remembered that Shera wasn't actually several years older than him, but a year younger than him, and two years younger than her sister.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Gala looked up with a slight frown from his plate as Shera bounced in the door ahead of Vahn. He lifted an eyebrow at the blunette, who smiled and shrugged. Shera tucked into her food quickly, putting an end to her chatter, but as soon as she was done, she was up and moving around again.

Noa rather enjoyed Shera being so energetic, and Gala was soon rubbing at his forehead as the two of them chattered back and forth, moving around the inn's common room. Vahn was starting to look a little worn out as well. Gala knew that he'd been running all over the town trying to find anyone to sell them edible trail rations for their trip to the next town.

"**Oh, I just remembered." **Both men turned to look at Shera as she plopped into the seat she'd vacated earlier. **"There's a guy in town named Zalan that wants us to take a letter to Vidna for him. I told him it wouldn't be a big problem, seeing as it's the next town over. They apparently have some sort of protection against the Mist."** Vahn looked a bit relieved at this, leaning back in his chair.

"**Good, I'm glad. The supplies here are so low that I don't dare buy any food. There's so little of it, even trail rations. I did buy you and me some new armor, though. I took yours with me to the armor shop, and the man said that both were beyond repair."** Shera sighed at that, leaning back in her chair. She looked like all her extra energy was finally gone, after gossiping with Noa.

"**Great. Well, it wasn't like they were made to survive heavy battle. They were made to hunt in. Gala's plate is made better than ours."** The monk blinked at the mention of his armor.

"**Yeah. So I'll take you to the weapons shop tomorrow to pick out a plate. The shopkeeper said that there were a few plates made for a female warrior."** Shera blinked, and nodded before standing up again with a yawn.

"**I'm gonna head to bed. I've been running around all day long."** Vahn waved as Shera went to bed, and blinked as Noa followed her. Gala sipped at the boiled water that the innkeeper had flavored with some herbs from her garden.

"**Noa's been following Shera's example a lot, lately."** Vahn blinked at Gala a little, and tilted his head to the side in a shrug. He had a mug that had held the same thing Gala's did, only Vahn had drained it sooner.

"**Shera's the only woman that Noa's been around for longer than a few days. Maya wore off on Noa a fair bit, too."** Gala hummed a little, a thoughtful look on his face still. He didn't say anything, though.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

**End Notes:** Again, I'm sorry that I took so long to update. I managed to write most of a chapter in a couple of days, even with distractions, so I should be updating pretty quickly now.

**_Read, review, and enjoy!_**


	17. Sea Foam

**Authoress' Notes:** Look! I'm getting myself to write again! ~ducks rotting vegetable projectiles~

Okay, all joking aside, I think I have finally rebooted my writing muse. I'm not entirely sure what made it crash and burn, but eh. Reading the reviews got me to finish a chapter. You see?! Reviews do stuff!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Legaia game. All I own is Shera.

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**Chapter 16: Sea Foam**

Shera yawned as she walked after Vahn, running her fingers over her bangs. It was actually before dawn, but Vahn had insisted that they go then, for whatever reason. Shera had barely had time to stretch, which was making her feel stiffer than normal. She strolled right along behind her childhood friend, though, grumbling a little at the lack of food in her stomach.

"**Relax, you'll get some food after we get some armor."** Shera huffed a little, and stretched her arms upwards, linking her fingers together to ensure that she stretched properly.

"**I'd have preferred it if you'd let me stretch properly. I feel like I can't bend."** Vahn paused to look back at the brunette, and she took advantage of the pause to twist from side to side, cracking her back. **"Ah, better..."** The blue-haired man chuckled a little, shaking his head.

"**Come on."** The brunette sighed as she trotted to catch up with him, holding a hand to her stomach as it gurgled unhappily. She doubted that even any bakers were up yet, let alone the shopkeeper they were going to go see.

The moon was their only light, much to her chagrin. She preferred the day, when she could see what she was doing, or anything that might have been about. The darkness caused her more than a little unease, even with Mule there to try to calm her. If he were awake, of course. The Ra-Seru was dozing somehow, even though his host was well conscious.

Vahn knocked on the door to the shop, and Shera had to hold back a sigh, propping her hands on her hips. She wanted to go back to the inn and the nice warm bed that Vahn had dragged her out of at an obscene hour. Gala and Noa were still in bed yet, much to her annoyance.

A muffled answer came from inside the shop, and Shera closed her eyes with a sigh. Of course they'd be awake. Vahn had probably talked them into being up at this absurd hour as well. They were going to be traveling that day. She didn't need to be tired, but now she was going to be. Then again, so would Vahn, so she wouldn't be alone in her misery.

"**Ah, Vahn! Hang on a moment."** Shera sighed out of her nose as she heard the locks on the door work, and it opened, letting a stream of light out. **"Come in, come in! My wife just started the tea."** The mention of tea got Shera's attention, and she trailed after Vahn, the prospect of being awake and on her feet for several more hours starting to look a little more attractive.

Just a little.

By the time the sun was over the horizon, Shera not only had hot tea and a warm meal in her stomach, but she had a new breastplate. She had stretched and found a book that fascinated her while Vahn found a breastplate for himself. She didn't even notice he was done until he patted her on the head as she sat curled up by the fire, leaning on one of the chairs that had been set there to read by its light.

"**Must be a good book if you didn't even hear me calling your name."** Shera blinked at Vahn, looking a little startled. **"Noa and Gala was waiting for us. We should get going. The shopkeepers said you could have that book, seeing as it seems to have caught your attention so much."** The brunette turned her head to look at the shopkeepers, who were busy with cleaning, as everyone in the town was.

The brunette smiled a little before nodding and marking her place in the book with a ribbon. She was already wearing her gray breastplate over her shirt, the slight decorations on it matching her boots. That had been the primary reason why she had picked that particular one out.

"**Oh! We need to find Zalan before we leave."** Vahn blinked at Shera, then tilted his head to the side remembering that she had mentioned that the day before.

"**I left a note for Gala and Noa to find him and get the letter from him."** Shera blinked a little, but nodded and followed her childhood friend towards the gate of the town. Sure enough, Gala was there with the satchel, keeping an eye on Noa, who was running around excitedly. The ex-monk spotted them quickly enough, and frowned at them.

Shera met his eye and then tilted her head towards Vahn, a bland look on her face. She hadn't wanted to get up so early in the morning, but the one that led them had insisted.

"**We got the last of the supplies, and got the letter from Zalan. We're all set to leave."** Vahn nodded to Gala, and turned to look at the town. Shera did as well, looking up towards the Sky Gardens, where she had finally become an equal to the others.

Such a strange town, holding so many changes for those not even from the region. Vahn had been forced to be the mature one for once, and Shera had been unable to control herself until she received the assistance of Mule.

"**It always feels strange..."** The others turned to look at Shera, who had her hands resting on her tonfas. **"These people, were it not for us, would have been trapped in the Mist still. Yet we can't stay to get to know the people we saved. People we don't even know, know our names. While we were in the Drake Kingdom, I heard a bard working on a ballad detailing our fight to free everyone from the Mist. They know our names, and what we've done. But...they don't really know us. Even when I went back to Rim Elm, I found that people expected me to be the same person as when I left. I hadn't even noticed that I had changed. We're the only people that really know each other, now."** There was quiet for a moment, and Vahn chuckled a little.

"**Wasn't expecting to hear something like that out of you, Shera. Not here, at least."** Shera frowned at him before stepping past, taking point. None of the others bothered to try to take point from her, though when Vahn tried to take up the rear, Noa insisted on taking the spot instead.

The four of them walked along in mostly silence, the main sound being Shera's tonfas as she spun them around in her normal habit. Gala had already started to find the sound soothing, as it meant that the brunette was safe and just feeling bored.

Shera was a little sad to be leaving Jeremi, but at the same time, she was more than glad to be moving again. She'd been surprised by how little she liked towns now. The plains and mountains were so much more her home, even never visiting the same place twice.

By nightfall, they had reached the northern bridge off of the island. Shera ended up sitting by the beach, watching the waves as the others sat around the fire. Mule glowed lightly, telling the others that the Ra-Seru was speaking with the brunette. Meta and the others refused to tell their partners what the water Ra-Seru was saying.

Whatever it was that Mule said to Shera, it seemed to have eased her mind by the time she returned to the fire. She accepted the food that Gala offered her, though still looked a little dazed.

Two days later, they were within the Mist again, and at the foot of another bridge. Shera was able to keep up with the others far better than before, though she was still the one that tired first. Mule kept her from screaming her rage at that, though her mood was still low.

Even Noa had more stamina than Shera, but not by much. Noa seemed to be puzzled by Shera's impatience, but didn't say anything about it, leaving the brunette alone. She had volunteered to take the dawn watch, and so she was the first one asleep.

Vahn sighed as soon as he was sure that Shera was asleep, the satchel under her breastplate and head. She looked quite peaceful, sleeping by the fire, though there were a few freckles scattered across her face. She looked more than a little tanned, thanks to their weeks of traveling. Her body was far more curvy than it used to be, toned by weeks of travel and fighting.

They all looked as though they had toughened up a great deal, even Gala. The ex-monk had slimmed down a little, his bulky muscles more of a hindrance than a help on most days. He looked as though he had lost a bit of weight, though he had been eating a lot better than anyone in Rim Elm had been.

Noa was filling out a little, eating better than she likely had been in the cave she had lived in for most of her life. Even now, her skin was settling into a luminous tan, despite her brilliant red hair. Shera had more freckles than Noa did.

The night was peaceful, despite how they always kept watches. There was no point in giving anything the opening, after all. The way things had been going on their journey, the moment they let their guard down was when they needed to be on guard.

Shera was only slightly groggy when Gala woke her for her shift, and she stretched as she listened carefully, prodding the small fire that they had started the night before. She stood at the side of the bridge they had crossed as twilight fell, watching as the sun came up.

Vahn was the first one up, having set himself so that the dawn light would wake him. He looked more than a little disoriented as he sat up, scratching at his head. He yawned as Shera turned to smile at him, still without her new armor on. He blushed as he realized that she had, at some point, started to wear her shirts loose, loose enough that he could see her breaststrap.

"**Morning."** Vahn nodded to Shera as she turned to watch the sun rising over the ocean again. Vahn blinked a little at her and turned the other way, looking at what looked like large windmills as they spun idly. How they were still working while everyone was in the Mist, the man from Rim Elm honestly didn't know. He was sure that if no one was around to take care of the one in Rim Elm, it would stop in less than a week.

Gala grumbled as he woke up, and Shera waved to him a little as she started to dig in the satchel for a bit of food. She came out with some hardtack that they had picked up a while ago and carefully carved off a piece of the bread with the knife that was now being stored in the satchel. She passed the piece to Vahn before carving off a few more pieces for herself, Gala, and Noa. She tucked the piece for herself into her cheek to soften it before she chewed it.

Noa woke up just a bit before they headed out, and was yawning as they started to walk. She was staying in the middle of the group that day, along with Shera. The brunette was carrying the satchel. Vahn walked point with Gala along behind, both looking a little grumpy.

The sun was high in the sky by the time they walked into the town. Shera blinked at the giant fans that were causing a breeze to push the Mist back. She waited until she was on the cobblestones of the town's roads before turning and staring up at the nearest fan, her hair fluttering a little in the wind it created.

Vahn barely glanced at the fans, and walked forwards to talk to a person that was standing there, staring at them with his mouth open. Gala had to grab Noa's arm to keep her from running off to investigate, and kept an eye on Shera as well.

"**Well, what do you know! You're my first customers since the Mist came!"** Vahn gave an odd look to the man as he gestured towards the inn that he was standing next to with a smile. Shera turned to see who had talked, and exchanged an odd look with Vahn. It was a bit forward of the man to assume that they would be staying there.

The man leaning against the inn shook his head at the innkeeper, rolling his dark eyes. He stood and walked over to Vahn, holding his hand out in a friendly gesture.

"**Before the Mist came, there were plenty of tourists in town, and I was a tour guide. I can show you around Vidna, if you want."** Vahn smiled at the man and shook his hand, nodding as he glanced back at the others. Shera was moving her shoulders like the satchel was digging into them, looking sweaty and slightly uncomfortable already. He had a feeling that she was thinking longingly of a nice warm bath.

"**Sure. Gala, Shera, Noa, come on."** Shera sighed and ducked out from under the strap of her satchel, passing it to Gala, who was reaching for it. She tilted her head from side to side to crack it before walking forwards to stand at Vahn's side, her hands on her tonfas.

The man led them along what seemed to be a main road, pointing out the supply and armor shops. The latter seemed to have several people wearing Gimard Seru hanging around. Shera eyed them warily, and spotted a couple nudging each other and looking in their direction. She didn't slow to see what they were talking about, making sure not to get too far from Vahn.

Their guide chattered on about how the town had been quite the tourist attraction in the past, with the hot springs and an exotic black sand beach. Both Shera and Vahn looked confused at the color of the sand, but didn't ask anything, seeing as the man had moved on to another subject.

"**This is where the Biron Monks stay."** Shera and Gala met eyes, looking more than a little surprised. Both looked to Vahn, who smiled a little and nodded.

"**I think we'll stop here. Gala was once a monk of Biron, and Shera grew up basically being raised by a Biron monk."** The tour guide glanced between them, and nodded. He smiled a little shakily at Shera, who looked a little amused.

"**Should you need me, I'll be where we met, outside the inn."** Shera chuckled as he beat a quick retreat, sharing a grin with Gala.

"**Was it something we said?"** Even Vahn snorted at that, walking up the steps to the building that the man had gestured to, opening the door. Shera and Gala both stood a little taller as they heard the familiar sound of monks training.

They filed in carefully, spreading out a little as they looked around. Shera's eyes were wide as she turned, hiding her Ra Seru from casual sight. She scratched at her neck a little as she looked around, noting how the building seemed to be where the monks slept as well as trained. Gala looked a little reluctant to step forwards, a shocked look on his face.

"**Gala, what's wrong? I thought the Biron people were your friends."** Shera glanced at Noa as she spoke to Gala. Her left hand was fiddling with a dyed red leather thong that Vahn didn't recognize.

"**It's just that I've violated the teachings of Biron by wearing Ozma."** Shera blinked as she realized that Gala had taken to calling his Ra-Seru by his name, which told her that he was coming to accept, maybe even like, his partner. Her left hand fell from her necklace to her right arm, cupping Mule against her arm.

She may not have been bound to the teachings of Biron, but she felt a little like she had done the wrong thing too, now. She felt Mule's sigh in her head as he debated whether or not it was worth getting her out of the funk she'd suddenly started to slip towards.

"**What's the matter, Gala? Zopu forgave you! So why? Vahn, say something to Gala!"** Shera smirked a little as Vahn blinked down at Noa, looking more than a little startled. It wasn't everyday that the redhead whined at him. He looked at a bit of a loss for words, making Shera shake her head a little.

"**Gala, while fighting for lives, we must take as many precautions as we can to ensure that we're successful. Lives are sacred. Surely Biron can understand the power that we need to have in order to save as many people as we can."** The other three turned to look at Shera as she spoke to Gala, her voice soft and reasonable. **"Besides, Ozma isn't a Seru. He's a Ra-Seru, tasked with protecting us humans."** Mule seemed to chuckle a little in the back of Shera's head, glad that she seemed to have reminded herself of why she had longed for a partner like Mule.

"**Ra-Seru? Did you just say 'Ra-Seru'?"** Shera blinked and turned at the woman that had just run up to them, her blue eyes wide. Shera tilted her head to the side a little, wondering why she looked so startled.

"**...Yes, I did."** Noa frowned at the woman as she sighed with relief, folding her hands in front of her. Even Shera looked a little confused. The boys simply stared at her, wondering what she was up to.

"**Oh, Hari, your prophecy has come true!"** Shera exchanged a weirded-out look with Gala, who had his mouth set into a firm line.

"**And you are?"** The ex-monk was well able to keep his tone polite, though Shera knew him well enough to understand he was forcing it.

"**Ah, my apologies. I am Sashia. I serve Hari. I am a priestess at the Temple of Rem. Before the Mist came, Hari instructed me to go to Vidna."** Shera's right hand was over Noa's mouth in time to block the question she was sure the redhead would have asked. **"I was to wait for four youths wearing Ra-Seru and give them The Message."** Shera, Gala, and Vahn exchanged looks, looking a little more than worried.

"**Hari knew that we would come here?"** Shera's mouth was pressed into a thin line as well now, meeting Gala's vibrant indigo eyes with her ocean-colored ones.

"**Wow! That Hari is amazing! Where is he? I want to meet him!"** Shera closed her eyes with a slight sigh through her nose at Noa's comment. Sashia chuckled a little at the eagerness of the girl, her angled face creasing into a gentle smile.

"**I am sure that Hari awaits your visit, too."** Vahn sighed a bit and ran his fingers through his hair, a patient look on his face. Shera bit her lip to hide a chuckle at that look, seeing that he was being far more responsible than he had ever been as a child.

"**That may be, but we don't even know where Hari is."** Shera gently ran her fingertips along Mule's spine, smiling as she got a reaction from her Ra-Seru almost like a shiver. Sashia giggled a little, covering her mouth demurely.

"**It's in The Message."** She folded her hands at her waist, struggling to hide her smile. **"I shall now give you The Message, as instructed by Hari."** Shera blinked at the sudden formality, and shifted her weight to her left leg, noting the slight tension that came from the scar she had received from Caruban just a few weeks ago.

It was hard to believe that just three weeks ago, she had been an angry, unruly girl that wanted nothing more than to get her way and fight alongside the men. Now she was part of a team, and well assured of her place. She had even acquired a few scars, as she'd heard all warriors had. Vahn had a couple of his own that he had gotten while in the Mist Generator in the Drake Kingdom. She still didn't know exactly how he'd gotten them.

"'**Go to the Temple of Rem, see the four Books of Prophecy. When you have seen them all, the secret will be clear. A brave Ra-Seru will acquire a great key, the Star Pearl.'"** Shera tilted her head to the side, blinking a few times. It wasn't much of a message. She felt as though it didn't carry much weight, though Sashia seemed to feel that it did. Gala seemed to be irked as well. He scowled and crossed his arms, one foot tapping on the wooden floor.

"**Four Books of Prophecy? Star Pearl? What is this, a riddle?"** Shera sighed a little at Gala's impatience, rubbing at her nose. Sashia looked only a little discouraged at Gala's grumpiness, though that look faded when Shera nudged the ex-monk and lifted her eyebrows at him, reminding him silently to be nice.

"**Hari said that with this, the youths wearing Ra-Seru would find a way."** Shera sighed a little, again, at Sashia's determination that they were smarter than she was. More traveled, yes, but the woman had at least two decades on them.

Shera wasn't the only one that looked more than a little irked at the blind faith of the priestess. Gala's expression flattened, and his foot tapped at a slightly faster beat.

"**Excuse me..."** Shera turned her head to look at the monk that had walked up beside Sashia. He had a round, rather friendly face. His eyes were on Gala, who was subtly trying to hide Ozma. **"I have heard of you. You are of Biron, yes?"** The ex-monk made a gesture almost like he was cringing before turning to look at the monk that had addressed him.

"**Actually, not...anymore."** Shera shifted a little at how Gala had had to force the words out. The monk blinked once before nodding, his friendly smile not fading in the least.

"**Things being the way they are, I'm sure there are very good reasons. Nonetheless..."** Shera tensed, waiting for the monk to say that they weren't welcome there. She didn't even feel right with displaying the token that Zopu had given her as proof that she had survived a Trial by Combat. **"You are the visitors that Sashia has waited for all this time. Please, rest here."** Shera blinked as the monk bowed.

Shera and Gala looked towards each other, surprise hidden in their eyes, before they turned to look at Vahn, who was already accepting the monk's offer. Anything to keep from having to pay the innkeeper that would likely charge them a great deal of money to make up for all the years that he hadn't made a profit.

Within a few hours, the travelers were mingling with the monks. Gala had been cajoled into showing the monks a few techniques that he had learned and mastered. Shera was keeping an eye on Noa as the girl played a game with some of the monks with sticks and a bouncy ball, while talking with a few more monks, the token that Zopu had given to her in private rolling over and over her fingers. Vahn was leaning over the map that the Old Witch had given them, trying to get directions from the older monks.

"**So you were able to fight six monks at once before you met your Ra-Seru?"** Shera turned her eyes towards the monk that had asked her the question. He was one of the younger ones in the building, maybe a few years older than her.

"**Yes. It was actually quite hard. I ended up with quite a headache afterwards because of how hard I had to concentrate." **Shera ran her fingers through her bangs. She had removed her boots at the door and rolled up her left pants leg, revealing the scar that Caruban had given her while she had met Noa.

"**I've never met anyone that could actually use that technique."** Shera chuckled a little, walking the token over her fingers. **"I mean, I heard about it from the older monks, but I thought it was just a tale to fool the younger monks." **Shera shook her head with a smirk.

"**No, it most definitely isn't. Master Tetsu, the one that taught me the trick, did tell me that I have quite the knack for it, though. I didn't realize quite how much of a knack until I spent some time training in the Biron Monastery. I found it helped me with what I had the most trouble with, fighting multiple opponents."**

The brunette spun her token into the air and then caught it by the cord, slipping it over her head easily. She was sitting by the hearth, hoping for a bit of food as soon as it was ready. She doubted that anyone would blame her, seeing as she saw her companions glance over every once in a while. None of them had eaten much. Hardtack wasn't exactly the tastiest thing ever created, nor could it be eaten quickly.

"**How long have the four of you been traveling?"** Shera slid her eyes over to the monk that had just walked up. He looked damp, as though he'd just gone and bathed.

"**Vahn and I have been traveling for about three weeks. Noa joined us about half a week after we left Rim Elm, and then Gala joined us after two weeks."** Shera noticed Vahn glance over as he heard his name, but didn't look directly at him. She was already sitting in a place where she could watch the entire room.

"**Here."** Shera blinked up at the monk that was handing her a bowl of what looked like soup. He had a couple more in his hand, and a spoon for each. **"I heard Gala mention that none of you ate much today."** Shera smiled her thanks to the monk and took the bowl of soup gratefully, scooping a bit up with the wooden spoon before almost inhaling the hearty dish.

The monks around her laughed at her appetite, but didn't tease her about it. She'd forced herself to do a great deal of walking on not much food that day, after all. One or two did warn her to slow down a bit, however, but the bowl wasn't so big that she could overeat.

By the time she was done, the others had bowls of their own and were eating, even the monks. Shera licked her spoon and walked over to the sink to wash her bowl, making sure that it was clean before drying it and putting it away, having to look around a bit before she found the spot.

Once that was done, Shera excused herself, murmuring that she wanted to explore Vidna on her own, and she would try to return by nightfall. She had grabbed Zalan's letter from the satchel, determined to try to find his son, whom she thought was named Pepe or Peter or something like that.

Much to her chagrin, she was side-tracked by the men that hung out around the weapons shop. She sighed as one stepped in her path and his two friends stood on either side, making sure that she couldn't just step around him.

"**Hey girl, where'd you get that cool Seru?"** Shera's eyebrows snapped down as soon as the leader of the three opened his mouth to address her. She scowled at him slightly, propping her right hand on her hip.

"**First off, my name isn't 'girl'. Second off, this isn't a Seru, it's a Ra-Seru."** The man blinked, looking a little startled. Apparently, he hadn't thought that she would take offense to being called 'girl'. Or he didn't know what the distinction between a Seru like what he wore and a Ra-Seru like Mule was.

"**Okay...But where did you get it?"** Shera sighed and tapped her foot, wondering if it was worth the trouble just pushing past these three. She didn't know what Gimards were supposed to do outside of the Mist and attached to a person. For all she knew, it was one of the ones that increased strength.

"**In Jeremi, from the Genesis Tree. Don't bother going there to look for another one, because there's only one per tree."** Mule chided Shera in the back of her head for the arrogant tone she was using, but she wanted these men to back off. The one on the leader's right was eyeing her in a way she didn't like.

"**You're sure? I mean, has anyone tried?"** Shera's flat look gained a dangerous glint to it. She didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"**Yes, I'm quite sure, and yes, people have tried. Besides, as soon as you step out of Vidna, that Seru of yours would react and turn you into a Seru monster."** The brunette pointed in the direction of the windmill for emphasis. **"It's only because of those fans that you aren't already one." **She twisted the arm she had pointed with, her right arm, to show her Ra-Seru off, which was glowing a slight blue. **"Mule here is immune to the effects of the Mist."**

With that, the men that had cornered Shera blinked at her, and she rolled her eyes before brushing past them. Hopefully that had gotten it through their thick skulls that she was drastically different from them.

"**That wasn't exactly called for, Shera...****"** The brunette glanced down at her Ra-Seru, her mouth pressed tight. **"****While I agree, their intentions were not the best, you could have been a great deal more polite.****"** Shera huffed at Mule's slight scolding, and trotted down the steps to the beach.

The sound of the waves crashing on the beach soothed her immediately. As the tour guide had said, the sand was black. She tugged her boots off, which she had put back on before leaving the building the monks stayed in, and hesitantly padded across the hot sand. It wasn't as warm as she thought it might have been, thankfully.

There were several other people that were on the beach, including a couple of children, their mother, and a couple that looked as though they had been tanned like leather. One was lazily fiddling with an old fishing rod, yawning on occasion like he was about to fall asleep.

Shera set her boots by one of the fishing boats that had been pulled up to the edge of the dune before crouching and scooping up a handful of sand. She stared at it as it trickled out of her fingers, creating a black stream that flowed into a small pile directly under her hand.

"**It's made from the volcanic material on a nearby island.****"** Shera turned her head to look at Mule, blinking a little. **"****This whole region is created from a set of hotspots in the earth, which forms as dark earth. As it erodes, it turns into black sand, which then is washed up on the beaches.****"** Shera couldn't help but smile at Mule's tendency to cater to her curiosity. He had gotten used to it quickly.

"**Which explains the hot springs. If there's a hotspot under this area, then any spring would be heated."** Shera noticed that one of the children was staring at her as she murmured to her Ra-Seru.

"**Indeed. It also is how the fans of this town continue to work.****"** Shera blinked at that, tilting her head to the side. **"****The hot spring is pumped through some kind of machinery to power the fans, I believe.****"** Shera hummed a little at that, wondering exactly how the machinery worked.

"**Excuse me, miss?"** Shera blinked and lifted her head to look at the girl that had walked over to stand nearby, her hands fisted in her faded dress. The brunette smiled gently at her, showing that she wasn't about to hurt her. **"Who were you talking to?"** Shera chuckled just a little at the girl, and held up her right arm.

"**My Ra-Seru, Mule. He's my partner, and keeps me safe from the Mist."** Shera emphasized that she didn't wear a normal Seru, and Mule glittered, shifting the fins that were lifted from Shera's arm. **"That feels weird, don't do that."** Mule laughed in the back of Shera's head for the slight scolding, though he knew that she hadn't meant it in a mean way.

"**Is he nice?"** Shera nodded, her smile still firmly in place. The girl inched forwards, her green eyes wide. **"Can I touch him?"** Shera chuckled a little, waiting for Mule to decide whether or not he minded.

"**He says yes. Here, stroke him around the spine. He likes that best."** Shera showed the girl where to pet the Ra-Seru, running one of her own fingers over the Seru on her arm.

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**End Notes:** Sorry for taking so long to update, everyone. My writing muse has a tendency to jump from place to place. I think it's sort of a side-effect of my A.D.D., now that I think on it. I've worn that down to the point where I can do my homework when I have to, but writing is more of a 'want to' thing for me, and, well...That's where the A.D.D. is.

Don't forget that reviews inspire me to write more!

**_Read, enjoy, and review!_**


	18. Sea Strand

**Authoress' Notes:** To be honest, I'm a little surprised by how quickly I've managed to get this out. The part where I got stuck is the end part of this chapter. So yeah. That means I did an entire chapter in the course of two days. Over a chapter, really. And this was in between cleaning up the house.

I know it didn't seem like things happened last chapter, but hey. Not every chapter is going to have danger, death, and Seru in it. Vidna is one of the last places for the group to relax for quite a while, and there's a fair bit that happens there.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 17: Sea Strand**

Vahn sighed as he looked out the window, scowling a little. Shera had disappeared to wander around the town on her own, and hadn't come back yet. Gala had decided to go look for her, but he hadn't returned either.

Noa had gone back to playing that little game she'd made up with the monks, and they seemed to be getting better at it. She seemed to hardly recognize that half of their group was missing, and that the sun was setting.

Finally, the bluenette spotted the two brunettes walking along the path up to the building. They looked to be in good moods, laughing a bit as they walked. Shera was holding a small bundle of something wrapped in cloth in her hand as she gestured, her teeth bright against her tanned skin.

The de-facto leader of the group sighed with relief as the two of them walked in, though he couldn't help but feel a little miffed that they were so comfortable around each other. After all, he and Shera had grown up together, and Gala had been the most recent addition to the group.

Shera yawned as she walked in, and waved to Vahn with a smile before heading to where Sashia had earlier told her that she and Noa could sleep, behind a screen that was set up in the corner of the large one-room building. Two beds had been moved behind it to join the bed that Sashia slept in.

Shera yawned as she flopped onto the bed, telling herself that she would take a look at the hot springs in the morning. She had been up since before dawn, and walked for hours on not a whole lot of food. She was a bit tired, and had a good reason to be so. She was fast asleep by the time Noa went to sleep, listening to the quiet murmur of people talking.

She dreamed, and it was actually quite pleasant. She was back in Rim Elm, and helping Juno thatch the roof again. She could see the Mist beyond the intact Wall, drifting lazily as the sea breeze kept it pushed away from the town. The dull roar of the waves crashing on the beach filled the air, the salt giving everything a briny taste.

Night fell in the dream, and far too fast. Neither Shera nor Juno noticed it until the Wall started to thump. Both Shera and Juno went to investigate, though there was no one else there. It was almost as though there was no one else in the village.

The Wall exploded with no warning as Juno approached the gate. Shera covered her face, though she didn't get hit. When she looked back, Juno was staggering up from under a pile of rubble, coughing at the dust. Shera stumbled over to help him, but found herself unable to reach him, for some reason. As she tried to get to his side, she saw the creature that had destroyed the Wall materialize out of the gloom, snarling in that strange voice she remembered hearing.

Shera sat up in her bed in Vidna with a gasp, shaking a little. Her hair was mussed, seeing as she had undone her braid before falling asleep. It was well before dawn, with the moon's light still pouring in the window.

The brunette took a couple of gulps of air before folding herself in half, hiding the tears that were falling down her cheeks. Mule glowed softly, waking up from his own sleep as she tried to keep her sobs in.

"**Shera...? What's wrong?****"** The brunette didn't try to hide the cause of her distress from her partner as she felt him sift through her recent memories. **"****Ahh. I suppose it had been a bit much to hope that my presence could ease your nightmares completely. Such a drastic change in such a short amount of time was bound to have left a mark on you.****"** Shera shook her head a little and rubbed her tears from her cheeks, finally controlling her urge to sob. She didn't want to wake anyone else.

"**That thing terrified me,"** she murmured, keeping her voice low, to keep anyone from hearing her. **"And losing Juno was enough of a loss to allow for poor dreams."** Mule vibrated slightly on Shera's arm, doing his best to comfort her. **"I think…I think I need to take a walk."**

The brunette turned and grabbed her trousers and shirt from the pile of clothing on her boots. She carried her boots to the door, leaving her armor behind, and slipped her feet into the boots before heading out the door, making sure to open and close the door as quietly as possible.

She wandered the town, almost in a daze as she heard all the soft sounds of the night. She found her way to the beach and sat at the fence keeping anyone from falling over the small cliff to the beach, crossing her arms over one of the slats.

She closed her eyes as she listened to the waves on the black beach, the sound in addition to the salty air calming her. Mule was also a great help, pulling calming memories from where they had been hidden under the unpleasantness. They were simple things, like the feeling she had gotten whenever she, Juno, and Mei had sat down for dinner together, or when Tetsu had told her that she'd managed to finally use a technique correctly.

Her body relaxed finally, the muscles all along her back easing. She opened her eyes as she heard men talking, and watched the fishermen as they stumbled down the stairs to the beach. A few of them turned to look at her, and she lazily waved, not moving otherwise. She had only just relaxed, after all. Feeling the damp breeze was the perfect way for her to unwind, it seemed.

Shortly after the fishermen headed out to check their nets, the sky started to lighten. Shera couldn't help but smile at that, kicking her feet on occasion. She started to smell baking bread, which made her stomach growl a little, but she didn't move from her spot, resting her chin on her forearms.

It was actually quite nice, she found, to just sit and listen to the tides. The sunset, when it arrived, was rather pretty as well. The way the colors danced on the water and warmed the black sand beach made Shera smile. The pounding of feet made her turn her head, though.

Vahn paused as soon as he saw her, and she lifted a hand to wave, a small smile on her face. She was fairly sure that he had seen her missing and immediately went out to look for her. He certainly looked as though he'd just rolled out of bed.

"**I guess I should have figured you'd be out here. When did you get up?"** Shera stood as Vahn walked up to the fence, and stretched, her back cracking a bit.

"**Several hours ago. I had a bad dream and couldn't calm down. I mighta dozed off a little out here, though."** Vahn sighed and shook his head with an exasperated look on his face, to which Shera simply smiled. **"I don't feel right unless I'm outside anymore. The only reason I can think of that I'm able to fall asleep indoors is because I'm exhausted.**"Vahn sighed at that, and sat down at the fence as well, looking out over the early morning ocean.

"**I'm not surprised, actually. We've been traveling for weeks, and for most of that time, we've slept outside. And you do prefer to be near the waves."** Shera shrugged a little, feeling her shoulders tense a little.

"**I probably scared you when you found out I wasn't inside."** Vahn laughed at that, an easier sound than normal. **"C'mon, I know you were scared. I saw how you reacted in Jeremi."** Shera grinned down at Vahn as she leaned against the railing, enjoying just standing there next to her old friend.

"**Yeah, you were being unpredictable, though."** Shera snorted at that, smiling. **"I know, I know, you couldn't exactly help yourself there."** Shera grinned again, and reached down to tug on a wayward spike of Vahn's hair.

"**Biggest reason I know you were panicking? Your hair's still a mess. You tend to pat it down after you've been awake a few minutes. And you tend to make sure everyone's alright as soon as you're up."** Vahn swatted at Shera's hand, which simply made her laugh as he blushed.

"**Shera? Vahn?"** Both of the natives of Rim Elm turned to look at Gala, who was rubbing at his head, blinking a little lazily. His hair looked as though he had run his fingers through it, as it was drooping just a little, trying to get back to the style his pillow had transformed it into. **"Ah, there you are. I was wondering."** The ex-monk yawned suddenly, and sighed. **"It's a bit early for this nonsense, isn't it?"** Shera chuckled a bit and stretched.

"**I've been up since before the moon set. I had a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep."** Mule glowed slightly, and Shera glanced towards him, but he didn't say anything. Meta and Ozma both glowed briefly as well, and Shera frowned, looking a little confused. **"Does that happen often?"** Vahn shrugged a little as Gala frowned at Ozma.

"**Noa's awake.****"** Shera snorted a little at Mule's soft comment, as though he'd had to think for a moment to tell them something. The boys didn't seem to have noticed the hesitation.

"**We should head back, then."** Gala glanced towards Vahn, an amused look on his face. **"Some of us need to clean up."** Shera snorted at the jab towards their de facto leader, who flushed a bit.

"**I think I'll head to the hot spring today. Maybe relaxing will help me sleep better."** Vahn and Gala exchanged glances at Shera's declaration, the younger of the two blushing slightly. **"Though, shouldn't we find the person Zalan wrote that letter to?"** The brunette turned to look back at the other two, blinking a little against the stiff breeze that suddenly blew in from the sea.

"**We'll take care of that. How about you and Noa explore the hot spring?"** Shera tilted her head to the side at Vahn's suggestion and lifted an eyebrow, propping her hands on her hips. Much to Vahn's relief, she had buttoned her shirt up all the way before walking outside.

"**The two of you are younger, and need a bit more time to recover from strenuous activity like traveling than we do."** Gala paused as he looked to Vahn. **"We may stop by the springs after we find out where Pepe, Zalan's son, lives."** Vahn blushed more at that, lifting his hand to scratch at his head, looking away from Shera.

"**Alright. We'll wait for you there."** Shera chuckled a little and started to walk again, moving her hair over her shoulder to finger-comb it. She looked drastically different with her hair down than she did with it pulled up in a braid. She looked softer, more vulnerable.

Vahn just couldn't bring himself to realize that Shera, his closest friend and rival, was indeed the grown woman that was walking away from him, her hips and braid swaying from side to side with a casual, easy pace. It was only when Gala nudged him that he tore his eyes away. Shera was a fair bit up the road by then.

The look on Gala's face suggested that he knew what Vahn had been distracted by, but the ex-monk didn't say anything, much to the blunette's relief. His face was red enough as it was.

When the two of them returned to the building that they had slept in, Shera was talking quietly with Noa, who was stretching carefully near the hearth, taking care with making sure her legs wouldn't complain at her. One of the older monks was tending to a pot of something on the fire, and the rest were doing some early morning training. Sashia looked relieved that Shera had returned, though a little annoyed. Vahn could only guess that it was because Shera had actually made her worry.

Once the food was served, Shera and Noa moved away from the hearth to keep from getting underfoot, with their bowls of food in hand. Shera started to look a little sleepy as she ate, proof that she hadn't slept well that night.

The two girls padded out of the building as soon as they were done eating, Shera catching Vahn's eye and nodding to show that they were going to go to the hot springs.

Noa was far more energetic than Shera was as they were walked through the process of preparing to get into the hot spring. Shera took her own sweet time washing her hair, feeling just a little self-conscious as they sat in the women's changing room. Noa seemed to be in a bit more of a rush to get to the hot water, but waited for Shera to be done.

The two of them stepped out of the changing room, wrapped in towels, and padded down the narrow hallway to the hot spring. Shera eyed the rock-lined spring, stepping along the stone pathway through the lush garden. The wooden wall that separated the spring into two halves didn't look well taken care of. There were far too many places where a person could peer through.

Noa was already in the water, so Shera sighed and folded up the towel that she was wearing around her chest, setting it on one of the rocks before sliding into the hot water.

A sigh of relief came from the brunette as she felt her muscles relax. Noa was bobbing around the edges of the spring, poking at the plants that ringed the pool. Shera kept an eye on her as she stretched, feeling the heat from the spring sink into her skin and bones.

"**Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't aware anyone was in here."** Shera turned to look at the woman that had just walked into the area of the springs. Like Shera, she had her hair all curled up in a towel, and another wrapped around her. **"And here I thought I'd have the spring all to myself because it's early."** The woman laughed a little as she slid into the spring, her towel folded on another rock.

"**That's precisely why Noa and I decided to come to the spring so early."** Shera gestured to Noa with her left hand, keeping her right under the water, where Mule would be missed. Not to mention the Ra-Seru was happy to be in his element.

"**Oh? Oh! I forgot that people were saying visitors had arrived from out of town yesterday!"** The woman pressed her hands to her mouth, and then laughed. **"So you're the travelers? It's so nice to meet you!"** Shera chuckled a little.

"**Two of the four. Vahn and Gala are off delivering a letter that we agreed to bring here."** The woman tilted her head to the side. **"There was a jeweler in Jeremi that wanted to get a letter to his son and wife. The boys are off doing that right now."**

"**Ah, so the two of you aren't traveling alone? That's good. I was a little concerned."** Shera laughed a bit, and Noa giggled. The woman frowned a bit, looking confused.

"**No one in the group gets a free ride. We all fight. Usually we all end up fighting at the same time. Shera and Vahn tend to be the ones that figure out the tactics."** Shera blinked at Noa, looking a little surprised that the redhead had decided that Shera had as much of a hand in the battle tactics as Vahn did.

"**Really? I'd heard legends about female warriors, but I thought that that was the only place they existed!"** Shera snorted at that, lifting her hands from the water to tuck a lock of her hair back into the towel.

"**The world outside is a lot more dangerous than you'd think. Travelers have to either be taking a short trip, or know how to fight, no matter the gender. The Seru tend to stick around cities and towns, though the monsters have become stronger because of the Mist as well. It makes it easier for them to attack people just out of the blue."** Shera stretched, grabbing onto the rock behind her as her legs started to float. She laughed a little at that, and righted herself, though her left leg dipped above the water for a moment, revealing the oblong scar there. She pulled it back down instantly, though the others had still seen the scar.

"**When the Mist fades from an area, though, they panic. They start to group up, and attack any travelers that they see. That's when things get really dangerous."** Shera nodded to Noa's words, glad that she had drawn attention off of her.

"**Though with the guards around here, I don't think you'll have to worry about that any time soon."** Shera sighed a little, rubbing warm water over her shoulders. **"No, what you'll have to worry about is more along the lines of if those giant fans stop working."** The woman frowned, looking up at the machines with concern. **"But, this has turned down a topic that isn't suitable for relaxing."**

Vahn sighed as he sank into the water, leaning back against the rocks. Gala was already in the far side of the pool, obscured by the mist. He turned his head towards the screen of bamboo, hearing some giggling and laughter from the women's side of the spring. He blushed a bit as he noticed that one of the ones giggling was Shera. That wasn't a sound that came from her often. She sounded genuinely amused, possibly for the first time since Juno died.

"**Oh, my skin is wrinkling...Noa, let's get out, alright?"** Vahn blushed even more at the splashing, his imagination playing tricks on him. Gala had his eyes closed as he sat in his corner of the spring, barely even a flush from the hot water on his face.

"**Alright! I wonder if Vahn and Gala have finished their errands!"** Shera's low chuckle followed Noa's chirp. Damp footsteps faded away, telling Vahn and Gala both that they had left.

"**They'll be fine."** Vahn's eyes snapped over to where Gala was. The monk's eyes were still closed, and he looked to be meditating with the water lapping around his shoulders. **"Relax. Enjoy the hot spring."** The blunette sighed finally, and slid into the water up to his chin.

The two of them stayed in there for a few hours, just enough for their skin to start wrinkling. Vahn stretched as they went and got dressed, leaving their armor off for the time being. It felt good to not have it on constantly, but at the same time, Vahn felt almost naked. At least, he had his sword on him.

They found Shera and Noa down at the beach. Shera was sitting on the bluff over the beach, watching Noa play in the sand. Someone had braided her hair for her and looped it up over itself to create two loops, one over each shoulder. She turned her head to look at the boys as they approached, and waved one hand.

Vahn waved back, and leaned against the bluff wall next to her legs. Gala paused to talk to some people that looked overly tanned, talking idly to them as Shera yawned, keeping an eye on Noa as she played near the waves.

"**So, did you find Zalan's son?"** Vahn sighed at Shera's question. **"I suppose I should take that as a 'no'."** Vahn flushed a bit at that, and Shera kicked her legs.

"**I keep thinking that Gala and I intimidate people too much. If you ask around, you might get a bit more information."** Shera blinked down at Vahn, and leaned back against the fence.

"**Maybe. I can't have Noa trailing along, though. I'll just get distracted far too easily."** She kept her voice low, so that it wouldn't carry over to the redhead. **"I'll meet you by the inn come sundown unless I find something."**

Vahn blinked at Shera as she got up and started to leave, and stepped forwards a little as she jumped over the fence. The loops that her hair had been put in bounced as she padded off, giving an almost comical air to her departure.

"**She'll be fine. The only ones that might give her trouble are those fools that hang around the weapons shop wearing Seru. And even then, she can handle it."** Vahn looked to Gala as he walked up, and nodded.

"**I know."** Shera paused just out of sight, a smile in her eyes as she faintly heard the exchange between the two men. She chuckled a bit and kept walking until she found the tiny marketplace that the natives used.

The feeling was much different from the marketplace in the Drake Kingdom. It was calmer, less frantic. There were a few dogs scrounging around for food, and a couple of them started a fight that was barely noticed.

Shera wandered around and bought an apple for herself, her eyes flicking from place to place. Very few people noticed her unless her right arm was in sight. Even then, they barely paid attention to her. It was a rather nice feeling for her.

"**I'm telling you, they're trouble! Come in from outside, and start asking around? That's nothing but trouble, all over it!"** The soft argument got Shera's attention, and she glanced in the direction the voices had come. A slight frown crossed her face as she saw that the one talking was one of the ones foolishly wearing a Seru still.

"**How do you know? I heard from the monks that they're nice enough, and that they've got a letter from my father!"** Shera edged a little closer to the argument.

"**I know because one of them attacked me the other day!"** Shera's eyes grew cold at that, and she stepped into sight, crossing her arms.

"**None of us did anything of the sort, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread such hideous lies."** Shera had to work to keep her tone level, though by the flinch of the man she'd leveled her glare at, her eyes were like chips of ice. They eased a bit as she turned her attention to the red-haired young man that they'd been warning. **"You're Zalan's son, Pepe?"** The young man seemed a bit startled.

"**Y-yes, I am. Is it true, what the monks say? You've freed my hometown from the Mist?"** Shera allowed a slight smile to cross her face, but it was still a bit tense. The one with a Seru on his head shifted a bit, then blanched as Shera leveled her ice eyes on him.

"**Yes, it is. My friends and I woke the Genesis Tree in the Sky Gardens. Your father asked me to bring a letter to you and your mother."** Shera paused at the brief pained look crossing his face. **"I don't have it with me. It's with our things. We've been staying with the Biron monks."** Shera jerked her thumb in the general direction of the makeshift monastery.

"**Really? I'd ask you to get it, but..."** Pepe flicked his eyes at the Seru-wearing men. **"I think something like that would be better done in private. My house is just behind the hot spring. It's got azaleas planted in front of it. If you want, you can bring your companions as well."** Shera nodded, and bowed a little before staring at the Seru-bearers until they left.

"**I don't like them...And it's not just because they willingly wear Seru that could possess them. The way they approach things bothers me."** The brunette shook her head a bit, and then smiled at Pepe. **"I'll go get the others, and we'll bring your letter to your house."** The redhead nodded, and they separated, barely noticing that people were looking at them oddly.

Shera frowned as she trotted to the bluff that she'd been sitting on earlier, only to find that her friends weren't there. She sighed and rubbed at her temples, trying to figure out where they might have gone. The marketplace was a bit hard to get to unless the person heading there knew where they were going.

"**Ah! Mule, could you ask Meta where he and the others are for me, please?"** Shera grinned at her flash of brilliance, and looked down at her Ra-Seru as he glowed. She didn't 'hear' anything from her partner, but judging by the steady glow, he was concentrating hard.

"**There's a building with a shelter from the Mist not too far from here. Meta says that the building has pink tulips planted beside the door.****"** Shera nodded, and looked around. She started towards a house that had pink tulips planted on either side of the door, and knocked on it.

An aging, but still rather pretty, woman answered the door, and blinked at Shera, who was fidgeting uncomfortably. She looked to Shera's right arm immediately, smiled, and stepped aside to let her in.

"**Your friends are in the basement, dear, speaking with my husband."** Shera relaxed a bit and nodded at that, her braid bobbing as she trotted down the steps. She could barely hear her own footsteps as she entered the basement. There were odd machines that rattled loud enough to deafen anyone. She winced as she pressed her hands to her ears.

One of the workers gestured towards a lift in a cage, and Shera nodded before opening it quickly and ducking inside. She staggered a bit as the lift started to lower, but kept her hands clapped on her ears. As soon as the roof of the lift lowered past where the floor had been, she hesitantly removed her hands, wincing as she felt that her ears were ringing.

"**Shera!"** The brunette turned around with a blink as a call came from behind her, and looked confused for a moment. Vahn was already pulling the door of the lift open, and the brunette ducked out of it. **"I was wondering why Meta was glowing a while ago. You asked Mule to find us?"** Shera stumbled a bit as Noa glomped her, and patted the redhead's spiky ponytail.

"**Yes. I found Pepe. He'd like to get his letter as soon as possible."** Vahn nodded, and looked to Gala, who was talking with a middle-aged man that had sharp eyes.

"**He told you where he lives?"** Shera nodded, looking around with a critical eye.

"**Not a bad shelter...Gonna need access to fresh water and a larger store of goods for any length of time...About the right size for the city, though. Large enough to fit everyone with a fair bit of wiggle room."** Vahn looked around a bit as well, nodding.

"**Providing they all make it here fine..."** Shera's lips pursed at that, and she nodded. Both of them knew how quickly the Mist could move in, and the Seru with it. **"Gala!"** The ex-monk turned his head, then bowed to the man that he had been talking to.

Shera cringed a bit as they headed back up to the work area, keeping her hands pressed over her ears. Noa was doing the same, looking just as pained. Vahn and Gala both simply cringed.

"**Ow, my ears..."** Vahn chuckled a little at Shera's complaint as they walked out of the building. Shera shook her head, trying to clear out her ears.

"**Yeah, it's really loud down there. Took us a bit to understand what the workers were saying. You know where Pepe lives?"** Shera nodded, and started to head to the building the monks lived in.

"**Yeah. Behind the hot springs, and he has azaleas around his house. Those take some**** tending, even for being a hardy plant."** Vahn blinked at that, and padded into the building. He returned a few moments later, sliding the letter into his belt pouch.

"**Let's get going, then."** Shera nodded, and padded off ahead, looking around as she went. She didn't want those Seru twits getting the jump on her.

It took a while, but she found the place, finally. She knocked on the door and shifted her weight backwards and forwards, moving her weight from the balls of her feet to her heels. Pepe answered the door finally, and blinked at Shera.

"**That was fast."** Shera chuckled a bit at that, and stepped in the door as Pepe stepped aside. The others followed, looking around. Shera did so as well, her eyes flicking from place to place.

The house was simple enough, but with flowers in pots all over. Many of them looked to be clippings from the Sky Gardens, and Jeremi in general. It lent the small wooden abode a floral scent. It was still the home of a bachelor, though, with some dirty laundry tossed about.

"**It's a fairly small town."** Shera smiled a bit as she inspected one of the nearest plants. She recognized a few as being healing plants, but some others were recognizable as herbs for cooking. There were fascinating flowers that grew out of pots that couldn't possibly hold much soil, in all sorts of colors. **"Here, the letter."** Shera glanced at Vahn as he handed over the paper. Pepe ripped it open immediately and started to read it silently.

Shera hummed along to a song that a child was singing outside. She couldn't quite hear the words, but it was soothing enough that she didn't need to. It was a simple repeating melody that drifted on the wind. She turned back to look at Pepe as he closed the letter with a sigh.

"**When I was small, I asked Mother what attracted her to Father." **The brunette turned to look at the Jeremi native as he spoke. She lifted an eyebrow, wondering what had brought up the topic. He opened the letter a little and turned it so that they could see how his father signed it.** "She said it was his fat but nimble fingers. Ever since then, his nickname around the house was 'Fat Fingers'."** Shera smiled slightly at that, though her eyes slid to the floor.

She missed her father, Juno, a great deal. She missed her sister and mother a great deal as well, but Juno had been the one to calm her when she was upset. He'd been a bit better than Tetsu at tending to his two daughters, even though Shera argued with Juno more than she ever had with Tetsu.

"**To tell you the truth, somewhere in my heart, I had given up on Father."** Shera frowned a little at that, and scratched at the base of her neck, digging her fingers through the looped braids. **"But he's alive! Oh, thank you for bringing the letter. Thank you so much! If...if only Mother were alive, too..."** Shera lifted her head up to glance at Pepe, at that. She'd been right. He was living alone. Zalan undoubtedly would be heartbroken at the news.

Vahn glanced to Shera, concern in his eyes. She lifted an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was looking to her. He rolled his eyes a little with a faint smile before looking back to Pepe. Shera snorted softly. Everyone lost someone at some point in time. What with the Mist around, it was a rare person who hadn't lost anyone at all. Everyone knew someone who had died.

Pepe had turned away from them, facing the wall. Shera had a feeling it was to hide his tears. **"Three years ago, she fell ill and died."** He was doing an admirable job of keeping his tears from affecting his voice, but Shera had a feeling that he still felt empty when he thought of his mother. She knew that she wouldn't ever not miss Juno. **"Oh!"**

Pepe turned back around and walked into the next room over without any indication what he was doing. Shera blinked at that, and looked at Vahn as Noa got up off of the chair she was seated on, looking after Pepe with a curious look on her face. He returned, looking at something in his hand as though it hurt him.

"**This is a keepsake of my mother. If you would, please give it to Father."** Shera blinked in surprise as Pepe pushed his hand towards her, a beautifully made ring in the center of his palm. Shera picked it up and looked closely at it, curiosity lighting her eyes. **"Please tell Father...Tell Zalan of Jeremi that his son is alive."** The brunette woman glanced up from the ring to glance at Vahn as he nodded to Pepe.

She supposed it only made sense that they acted as a sort of messenger system for the people who were still in the Mist. After all, they could make the trip with ease, where others would be risking their lives. She closed her fingers around the ring, wondering where it would be best to keep the delicate object without losing it. After a moment of thought, she pulled off the phoenix amulet she wore and strung the ring onto the gold chain to make sure she knew where it was at all times. After all, Pepe had handed it to her.

"**We will."** Shera smiled a bit at Vahn. She was glad to have a friend and rival that cared about others like he did. They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Shera started for the door. It felt...wrong, staying for longer than they needed to for delivering the letter.

They roamed around the hot springs until they were at the beach again. Shera sat on the bluff, kicking her feet a little as she watched the waves. It was very nice, being able to just sit and not worry about being ambushed.

"**So...now what?"** Shera couldn't help but laugh at Noa's innocent question. Vahn and Gala were soon snickering slightly as well. Noa didn't hold it against them, she was laughing with them. They knew each other well enough to know why they were all laughing.

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**End Notes:** I stalled right around where Pepe was reading the letter from his dad. Keep in mind, I'm watching a Let's Play of the game while I write, with a FAQ for information on the items, and sometimes it's rather hard to keep going with the writing when I have to constantly pause and unpause a video. Not to mention that there's only one Let's Play of this game that I feel is done right. No cheats, no skipping over scenes, and the text is on the screen long enough for me to pause it so I can type it out. Only one person has done that. If I hadn't found it, chances are that I'd have to play the game to write this.

I'm very glad that I don't have to.

_**Read, enjoy, and review!**_


	19. Sea Cliff

**Authoress' Notes:** Yay, I got some peace and quiet so that I can work on writing! Of course, it was unfortunately because I got sick the morning that my family was heading to my grandparents' house. I had to stay behind because...well, let's just say my stomach was very unhappy with me. It seems to have been a 24-hour thing, as I can eat normally again.

In other news, the next chapter marks 200 pages in Microsoft Word of this story alone! And yes, there is plot again.

**Disclaimer:** I do now own the Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 18: Sea Cliff**

Shera stretched as they walked out of the town. They'd managed to get more travel rations from the people in Vidna, once Shera had guided the others to where the marketplace was. Why the marketplace was hidden away where visitors couldn't find it, she couldn't figure out for the life of her.

"**So, back to Jeremi?"** The brunette looked over her shoulder at Gala, who was taking up the rear. Vahn was point today, and Noa was dancing along next to the older female.

"**I believe so. It's only polite to deliver it in a timely manner."** Gala sighed a little, and Shera grinned slightly. She loved knowing that she aggravated the ex-monk to no end. It made traveling slightly less boring.

"**Yes. To Jeremi, and then we'll try to find our way to Octam. That is where Hari is supposed to be, after all. It's also where Sashia's Message told us we should go."** Shera blinked a little at that. She'd almost forgotten about that. Puzzles weren't exactly her strongest suit.

At least she had a way to occupy herself for the next couple of days. Until Vahn told her to stop poking fun at Gala, at least. But by the time he did that, Noa had picked it up as well, so Shera still got to watch the ex-monk squirm. She'd made it her mission to get him to lighten up, at all costs, by the time they were halfway back to Jeremi.

A few people looked surprised at their return when they entered the town, though they still got warm smiles and a wave or two. Noa returned the waves while she and Gala led them to Zalan's house.

There were far more green plants growing now, and a few flowers blooming here and there. It made Shera smile, almost as much as the slight buzzing feeling from the nearness of the Genesis Tree did. Jeremi was going to be special for her for quite a long time. She was starting to doubt if she'd ever not consider it a special place.

Shera bounced in place as Gala knocked on the door, standing off to the side to watch the water below as it splashed quietly. There were fish there, much to her surprise. She hadn't thought she'd seen them last time, but perhaps the creatures had been living out of sight because of the Mist and the monsters it had created.

"**Mm? Ah! Come in, come in!"** Shera blinked out of her thoughts as she heard Zalan's voice, and trailed after her companions. She was the one that had the ring to be delivered, after all. She couldn't go bounding off to visit the Genesis Tree that Mule had been sleeping in again. **"Well? Did you deliver my letter?"** Vahn nodded, and gestured to Shera with a slight glance to make sure that she was there.

"**Yes. Your son was quite happy to hear that you still lived."** Shera pulled the ring off of her amulet and offered it to the jeweler. **"He sent this in return."** The smile faded from the aging man's face as he gently took the ring from Shera.

"**This...This is the ring I gave to Yuma..."** Shera took a step back as Zalan moved to his desk and sat at it, his eyes focused on the ring. She clasped her hands behind her as she glanced to Vahn with a worried look on her face. None of them said anything until Zalan took a deep, shaky breath. **"I see. So Yuma is no longer with us."**

Noa looked at Shera and Vahn as she rocked back and forth on her feet, looking lost. Zalan didn't seem to notice their awkwardness. He found a small velvet pillow in the depths of his desk to place the ring on before turning his head to look at them.

"**I wish I could have stayed by her side. That's my only regret."** He glanced at the ring again before forcing himself to stand. **"I am glad that Pepe is safe, though. Someday, when the Mist is gone, I will go to Vidna. I know that you four will ensure that that day comes."** Shera smiled a little at the confidence in Zalan's voice. **"I would like to repay you for this favor you've done for myself and my son. If you could return in the morning, I should have your reward finished."**

Shera and Vahn exchanged glances. Neither had any idea what the jeweler was talking about, so they shrugged. Vahn sighed slightly, and nodded to Zalan.

"**We'll come back to visit you before we leave."** Shera fidgeted, and Vahn glanced to her, a smirk on his lips. **"Yes, Shera, you may go visit the Sky Gardens."** The brunette perked up and bounced over to hug Vahn before darting out the door. Her rival was frozen where he'd stumbled at the abrupt action, his face flushed a little.

Noa and Gala joined Zalan in laughter at that, as amused by Shera's excitability as they were by Vahn's reaction. Their laughter only made the blunette blush even more, covering his face. Gala was the first to control his laughter, though his eyes still glittered with amusement.

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Shera sighed with relief as she leaned against the Genesis Tree. The breeze tugged at her hair, carrying the scent of the ocean. While she didn't particularly enjoy the way that the gardeners had pruned the hedges, it still felt better than the town below. She could ignore the fact that she was in a town here.

She wasn't afraid of being around people, but she felt better around plants. This Genesis Tree in particular felt as though the niche she was sitting in was made for her back. She could feel the pulse of life going through it, pulling energy from the power of belief that the people in the town had in it.

"**Shera! Night's falling."** The brunette blinked as Gala came around the turn of the hedge. She sighed as she heaved herself to her feet, and blinked as she realized she was hungry. The ex-monk smirked a little as he heard the growl that her stomach let out, and hooked his thumb into his belt. **"I thought you were the one that kept an eye on the time."**

Shera pouted and scowled at him as she started for where he was. He walked backwards until he bumped into the hedge. He then turned and walked normally, looking rather smug. Vahn and Noa were waiting for them at the entrance to the maze, which made Shera pause, wondering why they hadn't all come to find her at the other side of the maze.

"**I found out from the mayor that they've been able to get some meat by sending out hunters. The mayor's decided to invite us to dinner, as well."** Shera blinked at that, and tilted her head to the side before shrugging.

"**So long as we don't get mobbed again, that's fine."** Vahn snickered a bit at that, and started down the stairs, his hand on the wooden railing. That seemed to have been the first thing that was put up after the Mist was banished. None of them were surprised, seeing as they had been unnerved at the fact that there hadn't been any railings when they first arrived.

Noa started to whine about being hungry when they were halfway down the tower, getting a soft sigh of irritation from Shera. She was hungry as well, but she wasn't about to complain about it. Finally, as the elevator stopped, the brunette pressed her hand over the redhead's mouth, giving her a stern look.

"**Don't argue, please."** Vahn's weary sigh broke off the snappish comment that had been on Shera's tongue. She huffed a little and stretched her arms over her head, closing one eye as she walked out the door to the town hall.

Vahn simply rolled his eyes as he led them away from the Sky Gardens tower to the Mayor's house. It was a fairly large structure, but no one seemed to bat an eyelash at their presence. Nor did they seem to be underdressed. The mayor was dressed comfortably as he greeted them at the door.

The dinner was well enough, with game meat prepared in ways that Shera had never encountered before. The conversation was mostly what the mayor was doing to get his town back on its feet. Shera didn't talk much, though Mule was glowing faintly, showing that she was having a conversation of her own. The mayor certainly didn't catch onto the fact that he was being ignored.

They had been offered alcohol, but they all turned it down, knowing that they had to travel in the morning. Shera was spacing out the entire way back to the inn, but turned in the moment that they were shown the room. She barely took the time to undo her braids before curling up, much to Vahn's surprise.

"**She must have been more tired than I thought..."** Vahn frowned a little as Mule started to glow. **"Why is...?"** Gala looked over at Shera as well, and shrugged, cracking his neck before he lay down on the bed.

"**Affecting her dreams? There's only so much that the Mist affects the subconscious. Frankly, I'm surprised you don't have nightmares as often as Shera does."** The blunette blinked at Gala, frowning a little more.

"**Why? Because we went through the same events? Shera and I were in different places. We saw different things."** He paused, and looked down at Meta. **"And she had more stress than I did, having to be on edge more than I did to stay in one piece."** Gala hummed a little, and shrugged again, leaning back on his bed of choice to lay there with a sigh.

"**I think the Mist had a permanent effect on her."** Both Gala and Vahn looked at Noa with surprise. She blushed and looked down at the bed she was sitting on, kicking her legs. **"She was traveling in the Mist unprotected longer than any of us. It makes sense, right? Add that onto what happened, and it's understandable why she keeps having nightmares."** Vahn hummed a little, and took his own armor off as he walked to the unoccupied bed.

"**Yeah, I guess...It'd be nice if we could manage without bad dreams."** He yawned and lay on the bed, linking his fingers behind his neck. Despite his talkativeness, he was soon as fast asleep as Shera.

Shera was the first one awake the next morning, and stretched in the middle of the shared room, wearing her shirt loose once again. It had been a while since she had done so, but the humidity in the air was bothering her enough for her to feel sticky even with how early in the morning it was.

She padded upstairs before the others woke up, and found her way outside to the edge of the platform that supported the inn. She sat there and draped her legs over the edge, singing softly to herself as she waited for dawn. Mule seemed to be asleep, covered by the sleeve of her loose shirt.

It had been a while since she was last alone, even if she wasn't truly alone. She supposed that she needed to be alone at times, to clear her head. She liked her friends, but there was only so long that she could spend in their company before she started to act like them, not herself.

"**Shera."** The brunette turned her head, and smiled faintly as she saw Gala. She lifted her right hand and waved at him a little before looking to the sunrise again. The ex-monk sighed a bit and went to sit next to her, leaning back on his hands.

"**Sleep well?"** The brunettes exchanged glances. Shera had a smirk on her face, much to Gala's surprise. He nodded, and Shera chuckled a bit as she leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees. **"Good. It looks like everyone slept well, then."** Gala hummed in agreement, and both of them turned their attention to the lightening horizon.

That was where Vahn found them, when he finally stumbled out of the inn shortly after dawn. They were both quiet, lost in their own thoughts. Or, they were, at least, until Vahn cleared his throat. Shera jumped a little at that, twisting to look at him. He and Gala both chuckled at her reaction, and even she smiled at that before hauling herself up onto her feet.

"**I suppose it's time to pack up and wait until Zalan's awake?"** Vahn shrugged a little. Shera rolled her eyes at that, and padded back into the inn. Gala stretched as he pulled himself up as well, his shoulders popping.

"**How long have you two been up?"** Gala grinned a little at Vahn's question, and carefully stretched so that he wouldn't be sore later. He had gone looking for Shera when he saw that she wasn't in her bed, instead of stretching.

"**Since well before dawn. Shera woke up before me. She was out here when I woke up."** Vahn frowned a little, looking disgruntled. Gala chuckled at him, stepping away from the edge of the edge, and bent down to start to stretch.

"**She's still tiring faster than the rest of us..."** Gala shrugged a bit, his legs bent to stretch the muscles in them. **"I suppose she is still adjusting to having Mule, but..."** Gala pushed himself up to look at Vahn.

"**She's adjusting fine. Mule's affinity is water. She's not going to catch up right away. The longer we have our partners, though, the better she and Mule are going to get. It's in their nature. Yes, they're the weakest in the group right now, but chances are that she'll be one of the better fighters eventually."** He bent down into a stretch again, and Vahn sighed before doing the same.

"**Maybe she'll stop hesitating. She has her moments where she simply moves and that's when we see that she's got all this skill, but she usually just...watches."** Gala couldn't help but smile at Vahn's grumble. Thankfully, his smile was hidden in his knee.

"**She hesitates because she's a tactical fighter. Just watch, someday she'll use our surroundings to win a fighter that we can't outright beat."** Vahn pushed himself up and stared at Gala, frowning. The monk showed him his smile. **"The reason she hesitates so much is because she's still teaching herself to think on the fly."** He hummed a little, his eyes sliding up as he thought.

"**Okay, that does sound like it'll be useful, but...It still makes me worry about her."** Gala chuckled at that, but went back to stretching. Once he was sure that he had loosened himself up enough, he stood and started to go through his morning routine.

Shera walked back out after a while, Noa following after her. Vahn decided that it was time that he went to pack up his things. Gala went with him, leaving the girls to stretch and practice a little. For some reason, Shera still had her hair loose, though she'd tamed it back with a strip of leather around her hair at the base of her neck.

The girls had cleaned up their room rather nicely, even straightening up the beds. Vahn had a feeling that that had been Shera's doing. All the boys really had to do was pick up their personal things, like their armor and boots. Vahn had no idea when they had gotten into the habit of starting the morning off barefoot. They didn't do it so much outside of the towns, but it was still a habit for them.

Shera and Noa were sparring when the boys returned outdoors, evading the attacks instead of blocking them. Shera had the upper hand when it came to technical knowledge, and likely would have been able to take Noa, had she been able to catch her. Both of them were going easy on each other, not wanting to leave anything more than a bruise.

They stopped when they noticed the boys, and Shera grinned sheepishly. Vahn simply smiled and shook his head, setting the satchel down. Shera shook her shoulders out and fussed with her hair, which had fallen out of its tie during the spar.

"**Time to go see Zalan, I suppose? Or are we having breakfast first?"** Vahn blinked at Shera's question, looking a bit bemused. He had completely forgotten about eating. He hadn't realized he was that curious about what the jeweler was giving them as a reward for bringing his late wife's ring back to him.

"**Breakfast. We don't know how long Zalan was working last night."** Shera nodded, and pulled her armor back on, tugging her long hair out of it with a practiced motion. Noa's armor was essentially all she wore, still, so she didn't need to put anything on, though she had moved to scoop up the satchel.

The owner of the tavern was surprised to see the four of them, when they walked in. Still, he gave them a smile and set some freshly baked bread on the counter for them. Shera was glad to note that the place didn't smell as badly as it did that first morning that it had opened.

They were pleasantly surprised when the owner set out bowls of some sort of soup for them as well. Shera hummed as she slurped at hers, a smile on her face. Vahn watched her out of the corner of his eye before deciding to try his, trusting her judgment on the dish.

By the time the four bowls were scraped clean, they all agreed that the owner of the tavern was a master of the cooking arts. The man simply laughed and told them that the dish was made of whatever he had to hand. Shera certainly didn't believe him.

They gave him some gold in return for the meal, and waved as they left the tavern, heading to Zalan's house. By now, there were plenty of people walking around to attend to their normal lives. Several waved to the travelers, though Vahn noticed that they did still get some rather questionable looks.

Zalan looked tired when he answered the door, but he was smiling once again. Shera seemed to relax at that, as though his emotions had caused her distress. Vahn relaxed, himself, because of that.

"**I managed to finish your reward last night. I apologize in advance. I'd intended to make something for each of you, but..."** Vahn smiled a little and chuckled, rubbing at his nose. Shera propped her hands on her hips, and then leaned back a little, earning a crack from her spine.

"**Hey, what about the jewels we have?"** All eyes went to Noa, who was bouncing on her toes. **"They aren't doing much in our pouches."** Zalan tilted his head to the side slightly, looking somewhat confused, until Shera dug her Deep Sea Jewel from its hiding spot in her belt.

"**Ah! Yes, I should be able to fashion a setting for jewels this size rather quickly."** Noa grinned triumphantly as they pulled out their prizes. The jeweler had Shera's in his fingers already, and was delicately wrapping a silvery wire around it with his fingers and a pair of pliers.

Shera and Noa watched with fascination. The Deep Sea Jewel got a wire wrapping that was far more intricate than they had thought it was possible to do that quickly, with a pattern of spirals to compliment the internal pattern of the jewel. Gala's Tempest Jewel got a similar pattern, only the spirals weren't quite as tight as the one on the Deep Sea Jewel.

The Burning Jewel that had found its way into Vahn's hands had no spirals in the wire setting, but the gentle curves that interlinked around the stone suited it just fine. The wrapping around the Earth Jewel that Noa had looked straight from head on, but was curved ever so slightly. The pattern gave the impression of the metal being a part of the stone.

Last of all was the Scarlet Jewel that Noa was holding. It was the smallest of all of them. Zalan gave it a simpler setting than the rest, wire wrapping all the way around them. He had a smile on his face as he strung it onto a chain like he had the others and handed it to Noa.

Shera was holding her Deep Sea Jewel up to the light, her eyes dancing as she studied the gem. It looked drastically different in a setting than it had when she first picked it up. She was quite happy with it, judging by all appearances. After a couple more moments of admiring it, she pulled the chain over her head and tucked her jewel under her chestplate to keep it safe with Mei's lucky pendant and the phoenix amulet that all travelers valued.

"**Here. This is what I was working on all night long."** All four of the travelers turned to look at Zalan, who had moved to a cabinet with glass windows, unnoticed. He had in his hands a circlet, made of gold with several small grey-blue gems set in the center of carefully formed spirals.

"**That's...the reward you were working on?"** Vahn sounded quite surprised, gently accepting the object from the jeweler. He studied it with wide eyes. Compared to that, their new pendants were thrown together sloppily.

"**Yes. The gems on it are something that I was holding onto in order to make for fighters someday. They make it easier for a warrior to fight and think at the same time."** Vahn blinked a bit. He hadn't known that it was possible for an accessory to do so.

"**I...Thank you."** Zalan smiled as he saw the fighters realize that the delicate piece of art could actually help them. Vahn looked down at it for a moment, and then turned to the others. **"Shera, here. I think you could make the most of this."** The brunette blinked a little, and blushed.

She did take the circlet, though, running her thumbs over a couple of whorls. Most of the decoration was in the front of the thing, where it wouldn't catch on the wearer's hair.

"**Here."** Shera blinked as Noa took the circlet from the brunette and gently pushed her towards the chair that Zalan had by his desk. The bemused woman glanced to the jeweler, who was chuckling a little to himself, seemingly knowing what was happening. He gestured that she could sit there if she wanted to.

Noa took Shera's hair out of the tail that she'd put it in, and fussed with the long brown strands until it had settled the way she wanted it to. She then started to braid Shera's hair along the circlet, ensuring that it wouldn't slide around, on both sides of her head before she braided the rest. Once the redhead had declared the endeavor done, Shera tested the circlet and found that it was firmly in place.

"**I can't say I've seen someone take quite that approach to wearing a circlet, but it works."** Shera blushed bright at Zalan's comment. He and the other two men looked quite amused. Gala was doing his best to hide his smirk, but Vahn wasn't even trying.

"**Whatever. Thank you, Zalan."** She turned her attention to Vahn. **"Should we get going now? It's near noon."** The blunette blinked and looked out the window, startled. His rival was right, they had been there for most of the morning.

"**Right. Let's get going. Thank you, Zalan. I hope you and your son are reunited soon."** The old jeweler smiled and nodded as he showed his guests out of the building.

"**I'm a mere jeweler, but if there's anything else I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know."** Vahn nodded to the man, and shook his hand as his companions started to walk away.

"**We will. Thank you, again."** Zalan started to wave as Vahn trotted to catch up to his companions, his eyes on the rather intricate braid that Noa had come up with to keep the circlet on Shera. The metal really only showed on her forehead.

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"**So, how many more days until we're at Octam?"** Vahn glanced over his shoulder to Shera. She was walking at the rear of the group today, swinging her tonfa to let them know that she was fine, even though, when the Mist got thick, they couldn't see her all that well.

They all had a few scrapes on their armor now, thanks to the 'Killer Bison' that lived on the grasslands of the islands, but overall, they looked to be in fine spirits. Even Shera, who still seemed to be affected by the Mist a bit.

"**A week at the most. You doing alright?"** There was a pause where Vahn figured that Shera was rolling her eyes, and a sigh. **"Sorry, I'm just used to having to gauge how far we go based on you."** There was a muffled crack that was probably Shera's back.

"**I know. It's noon, though, Vahn. I'm not going to be getting tired for hours."** Gala chuckled, out in front of the rest of them acting as point. The Mist was thick enough that they weren't spread out the way they had been in the southern part of the region.

"**Vahn, quit worrying over her. Keep an eye out in case we get attacked."** Shera snickered as her rival was told off by Noa. The redhead was a fair bit fiercer than she had been when they first started to travel together, and the brunette had a sneaking suspicion that at least part of it was because she herself took no nonsense from the boys.

A squeak from behind made Vahn turn sharply. That hadn't sounded like Shera, though the flurry of thuds told them that she was taking care of it. Vahn started back towards her anyhow, pulling his swords out of the sheathes on either side of his hips.

Shera didn't need the help, knocking aside the carcass of a large carnivorous worm as she slammed one of her Carm tonfas into a yellow version of the green Lippians that lived in the Drake Kingdom. There was another carcass of a worm just behind her.

"**Well, at least we know that you're strong enough to take care of things."** Shera smirked at him and tapped worm guts off of her tonfas. None of them were really having any trouble with the monsters on the plains. They'd been ambushed in the Mist enough times that they had each learned the weak points of the common enemies.

"**You forget that I'm doing better at fighting multiple enemies. It's a fair sight easier to fight things as simple-minded as worms and Lippians than it is to fight well-trained monks."** She shooed Vahn a little as she started to walk. He sighed a little and trotted to catch up to Noa again, just a couple of yards ahead.

"**We don't have a bridge to cross before we get there, thankfully. This island is shaped sorta like a spiral, with Octam at the center."** Shera sighed. She remembered clearly when they had found out that the bridge that led directly to Octam had been obliterated during a storm at some point. She simply hoped that they wouldn't need a boat to get to an island at some point.

"**Great. Keep an eye out."** Vahn sighed at the terse tone in Shera's voice. He could tell that she was starting to feel anxious to get to their destination. For all he knew, she'd stay twitchy until they got there.

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"**That's Octam?" **Shera peered at the dim form in the morning light as it filtered through the Mist. Vahn, standing next to her on the shoreline, nodded, his arms folded in front of him. They'd started to sleep in their armor, and it was starting to show in the scent that wafted around them. They all agreed, albeit reluctantly, that it was better to have an unpleasant smell than it was to need the phoenix amulets.

"**We should be able to get there by midday. Let's hope that if there's anyone there, the people in charge were smart enough to do what King Drake did."** Shera hummed in agreement, running her fingers over the intricate braids that had become a part of her since getting the circlet.

"**Guys! Breakfast!"** Shera blinked at Noa's call, and walked down the beach to where their camp had been set up. Vahn trailed along after her, ruffling his hair. It was starting to get long enough that he could tie it back, himself.

Shera accepted the bowl of soup that Gala handed her, and curled up on herself next to the fire, hoping that its head would get rid of the dampness that she felt from the Mist. She was quite happy to have the soup, though. Despite the heat, everything felt clammy and rather unpleasant, and she hated the feeling.

They were all very quiet as they ate, and cleaned their bowls in the surf instead of out of their canteens. They were being sparing with the water, seeing as they hadn't seen any fresh water for a day or so. They were betting on there being a source of fresh water in Octam, much as they wished they weren't.

Shera took point, slipping into the almost-spacing out state that allowed her to sense monsters around them. She could sense Seru easily enough. Those felt like pits of malevolence, even in the Mist. She didn't even need to concentrate to notice those. Monsters, on the other hand, felt much like people, albeit twisted by the Mist.

Before too long, her boots landed on the cobblestones of Octam, and she looked around. She could feel that there were Seru around, but none seemed to have noticed them yet. What she found curious was that she couldn't sense any people.

As she looked around, the others caught up. Noa trotted past her, pushing through the bushes that were growing wild around the entrance to the city. White flower petals drifted to the ground in her wake. Vahn strode past her, while Gala paused next to Shera, giving her a curious look.

"**I don't sense anyone... There's Seru, lots of them, and plenty of monsters, but...No people. Even ones that were possessed by the Seru."** The brunette kept her voice low, as though she were afraid of someone overhearing her. The ex-monk was the only one that her words were privy to, anyhow. Ahead of them several yards, Noa was calling for them.

"**It's Octam! Vahn! Gala! Shera! This must be Octam!"** The brunettes sighed in unison at Noa's tendency to state the obvious. Gala ran his hands through his short hair and walked forwards to find where their companions had gone to. Shera hesitated a couple more moments, looking around them, before trotting along after him, doing her best to move quietly.

"**Yes, this appears to be the city that we saw in past dreams."** Shera paused to pluck a flower from a bush. After a second, she allowed herself a silly smile, and tucked the small flower into one of her braids before walking forwards again. Vahn glanced to her once he saw her movement, and did a double-take, his eyes on the flower in her hair.

Noa giggled happily and dashed off. Shera blinked at that, and sighed, hooking one of her tonfas into her belt as she trotted after the excitable redhead. Her braid swayed with her movements as she caught up with the girl as she clambered up the large stone steps that created the central building of the city.

The sound of running water caught Shera's attention, and she followed the sound to a fountain. She tested the water, grinned, and filled her canteen. She waved to Vahn and Gala as they reached the main square. She hooked her canteen back onto her belt and filled her hands with water to gulp it down. She drank greedily, glad for the fresh, clean water.

"**Oh good, you found water!"** Shera wiped her mouth off on the back of her arm and nodded to Vahn as Gala went haring up the stairs after Noa. She was calling for Hari, as if he were there to answer them.

Vahn filled his canteen and drank from the fountain next to Shera as the brunette stared up the building at the bright-red head of hair that marked where the hyperactive youngest member of the group as she darted to and fro. He sighed with relief and dunked his head under the flow of water, earning a startled laugh from Shera as she stepped away from him, covering her face as he shook the water from his hair.

"**Okay, enough goofing around. Let's regroup before any Seru get here."** Vahn nodded at Shera's suggestion, and quickly fingercombed his hair before trotting off to where Noa and Gala were.

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**End Notes:** Yaaaay, Octam! This is actually one of my favorite cities in the game. I've tweaked it a little, as you'll see in the next chapter, to make sense with how long it's been without maintenance. Plus there's Hari's Message cleared up. But that's all next time!

Don't forget, reviewing makes me want to update faster!

**_Read, enjoy, and review!_**


	20. Under Land, Over Sea

**Authoress' Notes:** Yeesh, I'm blazing through this. Don't let this pace fool you, folks. I don't normally type this fast. I've just been very motivated for this story lately. Once the next semester of college starts, in a couple of days, the pace will drop again.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying watching the traffic count climb. If anyone wants my tumblr so that they can prod me on occasion to work on this story, or my other one, it's dreylendreamer. As a note, no, I don't upload pictures of myself. It's mostly reblogging, art that I'm procrastinating on writing with, and silliness with my friends. If people are interested in seeing my fanfic stuff on there, just tell me so!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 19: Under Land Over Sea**

Noa whined at Gala as Shera and Vahn hiked up the stairs to where the two of them had stopped. She was pouting at the ex-monk, sitting on a barrel that, surprisingly, hadn't rotted. Shera chuckled as she reached the remnants of a raised road and walked over to them.

"**Listen! Look around you! Octam is enveloped in the Mist!"** Gala was scolding the redhead, hands on hips. Shera barely kept from sniggering. The scene was very mentorly, and despite how much Gala denied it, Shera could tell that he did enjoy teaching. He certainly lectured the rest of them on different things often enough. **"Could any ordinary human beings survive here?"**

Shera walked over to Gala, and nudged him. When he frowned at her, she lifted an eyebrow. Noa whined, and Shera rubbed at the seal that still sat on her forehead, around her circlet. She was getting a headache just thinking about what had started the discussion.

"**Noa, forget about Hari for now. We can look for him when the Mist is gone."** Shera glanced over her shoulder at Vahn. He sounded as weary as she felt at the whole situation. Noa pouted more, slouching.

"**You're so mean, Vahn..."** Shera had to bite back a snicker at Noa's complaint. The blunette gave the redhead an odd look as Gala coughed to hide his own amusement. **"Wait! I know! The Genesis Tree! If we find it, we can drive out the Mist! Terra! Terra, tell me, is the Genesis Tree nearby?"** Shera looked down at her forearm to Mule, silently asking him the same thing that Noa had asked Terra.

"**I am sorry, Noa. Unfortunately, I do not sense the presence of a Genesis Tree here.****"** Instead of answering Shera himself, Mule simply relayed Terra's words to her. The brunette sighed and slouched, herself. Not that getting rid of the Mist would have done anything, anyhow. There were no people in this city.

Noa sniffled and whined at the answer she got, and Shera sighed before walking over to her and pulling her into a half-hug. The redhead stiffened a little before hugging Shera back, rubbing at her eyes. Shera smiled faintly, glad that she was able to stop Noa's fit before it really got started.

"**We can come back and find Hari after we rid the region of Mist. In the meantime, we need to figure out that riddle that Sashia told us. Uh...How did it go again?"** Shera looked to Vahn, a faint blush on her cheeks for her inability to remember the message Sashia had given them. Gala blinked at her and sighed, droping his hands from his hips.

"'**Go to the Temple of Rem, see the four Books of Prophecy. When you have seen them all, the secret will be clear. A brave Ra-Seru will acquire a great key, the Star Pearl.'"** Shera's sheepish smile increased as Gala proved that he hadn't forgotten the words even though he had been less than pleased with how cryptic they were.

"**And the tour guide said that the Temple of Rem was in Octam."** Vahn nodded to agree with Noa's chirp. Shera hummed a little as she closed her eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself.

"**Well, there's no one in the city that we can ask for directions. It's odd, though, there's a lot of monsters and Seru underground. Down there."** She pointed without opening her eyes. Gala and Vahn blinked at each other before looking in the direction that she was pointing in.

"**I guess it makes sense to have a temple in the middle of the city. You're sure about there not being anyone?"** Shera nodded, opening her eyes. Vahn sighed and started to walk down the steps.

"**Positive. I stopped and concentrated at the entrance to the city." **She paused and looked at Gala and Noa. **"The fountains down in the square flow with fresh water. Vahn and I already refilled our canteens and drank some."** Vahn paused to look back up at them. **"Go ahead and do that as well. Vahn and I will look around for a bit."**

Noa hardly needed the permission before she was flying down the stairs. Gala grumbled under his breath before he started to follow her. Shera merely chuckled, twisting to face the side and dropping down the stairs quickly.

Shera and Vahn stayed near each other as they scouted around, but no monsters ambushed them. Noa was playing with the water, out in the square, and Gala was keeping an eye on her. After a while, they all started to split up, getting careless.

Shera paused as she walked into what looked like it had been a tavern, tensing. She shifted to take her tonfas out of her belt, and moved to put her back to the wall. She didn't move quickly enough, and something knocked her back out the door. She grunted as she rolled to her feet, wheezing a little as she did her best to get her breath back.

The thing that had attacked her looked like some large purple bug with blades for hands. Shera cursed a little to herself as she realized that if she hadn't been wearing her armor, she'd have been skewered. Fortunately, she was able to kill the thing with little trouble. Unfortunately, it wasn't alone.

A creature unlike any others she'd seen before leered at her from its hiding spot behind the bar. Shera had to duck under the table that it threw at her, and lurched towards it, spinning her tonfas around in a small circle as she dashed towards the thing.

"**Shera?!"** The brunette grunted as the beast slammed one of its huge hands into her midsection. She skidded back a little before sneering and punching up at the thing's head with the short end of her tonfa. It screeched in pain as Vahn hurtled into the room over the overturned table.

With her rival by her side, the beast fell fast. Shera wheezed more as Vahn panted, curling one of her arms around her gut. Once Vahn had stabbed the beast in its head, he turned his attention to her. He sheathed one of his swords and fumbled at Shera's belt pouch, pulling out the packet of healing things that she kept on her at all times.

They all had healing items on them all the time, but Shera kept the largest stash. The way that the brunette was wheezing, Vahn was pretty sure that she had a few bruises where she wasn't supposed to have any. Shera grimaced a little as Vahn carefully slid a few of the leaves into her mouth, but chewed it before spitting out the remnants, already breathing easier.

"**Better?"** Shera nodded and stood, shakily taking a couple of deep breaths. **"Guess it was only a matter of time before one of us got caught flat-footed."** Vahn was looking at the mangled remains of the bug that Shera had destroyed.

"**Mm. I sensed 'em at the last second, though. Not fast enough to keep that one from nailing me in the chest, but fast enough to stay alive."** She rubbed at her chest a little, and coughed at the residual of the bruising.

"**Shera?! Vahn?!"** The brunette waved the tonfa that was still in her hand out the door in greeting as Noa and Gala ran to see what had happened to them. Gala looked concerned, and it only increased when he saw the scrapes on Shera's chestplate and the carcasses on the ground.

"**We're fine. I've still got a couple of bruises left, but those will fade in time."** Noa relaxed a little as Shera assured them that she was fine. **"Did you find anything?"** Noa nodded to that, and dug into the satchel to pull out two bottles. Shera took one to investigate it.

"**A Speed elixir, and a Swift Water."** Vahn hummed at that, and took the Swift Water, handing it to Gala. The ex-monk gave him an odd look, but shrugged and drank it anyway, coughing a little at the flavor of the water. None of them could deny that he was the least agile of them, and the blessed water, while a bit stale, still had the effect that a priest had placed on it.

"**I take it the Speed elixir is saved for some later date?"** Vahn nodded, and looked around the room. The tables were trashed, and it smelled like it was being used as a monster den. **"Right. Let's go investigate the temple before any other creatures walk in on us."** The brunette rubbed at her chest a little more, and led them out of the old tavern.

They settled into their travel pattern, one in front, one in back, and two in the middle. Shera had point, and Gala had the rear. After finding Shera in a rough fight, Vahn wasn't sure with letting the brunette out of his sight.

Shera had to lean on the door between the two massive staircases in order to get it to open. Thankfully, it opened inwards. She and Vahn switched places after that, with him carefully stepping through the door first and Shera walking alongside Noa.

The only light that the four of them had came from their Ra-Seru, and it tinted their surroundings in the four colors. Red light pooled around Vahn, green from Noa's upraised hand. A steady blue light came from Gala and Ozma, while a pale, rippling blue came from Shera and Mule. The four colors mixed where they stood close, but the glows still cast everything around them in eerie shadows.

A sound made Shera pause. The abrupt end of the thrumming set the other three on edge. All four of them were silent, waiting to see what it was that Shera had heard. After a tense moment, Shera stood straight and started to twirl her tonfas again. Vahn and Noa both sighed with relief and kept walking.

They found another door, and Shera moved forwards to help Vahn open it. The air that rushed past them from this door smelled a bit better, but it was still clogged with dust. Shera sniffled a bit before sneezing hard enough for the sound to echo. Vahn jumped as he looked over his shoulder at her, and she smiled shakily at him.

"'**M fine. Just dust."** The blunette nodded and slipped through the door, swords ready. Shera stiffened and opened her mouth, turning to look behind them just in time for Gala to dodge to the side. An orb that reflected the light coming from their Seru whizzed through the air, paused, and then flew back into the shadows. **"Seru!"**

The word was enough to put them all into action. Vahn backed up through the door to attend to what was attacking them. Noa was already darting towards the Seru while Shera moved to make sure that Gala was alright.

Noa rolled back towards them with a yelp, but her movements had revealed the Seru in its shadowy hideaway. It could have been mistaken for a part of the scenery, if they had seen it. A three-legged pedestal upon which rested a large orb.

The four of them managed to take it down fairly quickly. The final time that it flew back, it shuddered before slowly getting back up, going transparent. It then faded into a few sparkles of light that rushed towards Shera. Thinking that it was a new attack, Shera got into her defensive stance, but all that happened was that the sparks entered Mule.

"**Oh! Looks like Mule absorbed it. What type of Seru is it, Shera?"** The brunette blinked at Noa's excited face, and closed her eyes. Mule guided her mind to where he placed the information about the Seru they had absorbed.

"**It's a light type. Oh! And it's a healing effect. That ought to come in handy."** Vahn chuckled a little, and cracked his neck from side to side before walking back towards the door. Noa bounced along after him.

"**I think it's fitting that Shera got the first new Seru!"** The brunette blushed a little and shook her head, trotting after her friends. She shook her head a bit, and paused as she was through the door, her eyes widening.

"**Oh, wow…"** Light bounced off of polished metal in the center of the room. Shera wasn't the only one impressed. Vahn was approaching what looked like a small building in the middle of the cavernous space, Meta held high so that he could see farther.

To either side of them, attached to the walls were wooden dividers, standing waist high to Gala, who was the tallest of the four of them. There were unlit torches sitting at the corner where the small corridor let into the area where Vahn was. Noa was lighting those with some Seru magic, giving them a fair bit better light.

"**The Temple of Rem. I'd heard that it was one of the wonders of the world, but..."** Gala sounded reverent as he approached the gilded building, leaving Shera at the rear. **"And if this is how it looks after years of neglect, imagine what it looked like at its prime."** Shera hummed softly, finally leaving the door.

"**Much as I'd love to stand and just stare at the temple, I think we need to head farther in."** All three of her companions looked at her, and she pointed down. **"There's more underneath, including what I'm guessing is a fairly large chamber."** Vahn sighed and pushed through the intricately carved wooden door.

"**Right. No need to get sidetracked."** Shera smirked and started to spin her tonfas, the comforting thrumming turned into a loud reverberation as it echoed in the room. It sent a shiver up Shera's back, but she didn't stop.

"**Woah. Careful, no railings."** Shera paused at Vahn's warning, wincing a little at the memory of what it had been like, walking around on top of the Sky Gardens in Jeremi without the railings.

This was worse than the Sky Gardens. In Jeremi, at least it was possible to see the faint shapes of the buildings below. Here, there was nothing but a pit of blackness beyond the orb of light that came from their Ra-Seru. The stairs were wide, at least.

Shera stayed towards the center of the stairs, her boots barely making a sound against the threadbare carpeting that padded the structure. There were a few monsters on the stairs, but Vahn, out in the front of the group, simply took to knocking them off of the stairs and into the seemingly endless pit below.

None of them complained about the lack of fighting, though when Vahn found an Orb, the Seru that Shera had acquired, they all joined in. By the time they found the bottom of the stairs, all four of them had absorbed one.

Shera couldn't deny that she was a little miffed that the rest of the group had a plethora of Seru to call upon, and all she had was the new one. She couldn't even cast it that often, according to Mule, because she didn't have the mental capacity to. Yet. He said it was something that they'd be able to work on.

She wasn't quite sure she felt up to using something she'd never tried before in the heat of battle, anyhow. She wasn't the sort to gamble with the lives of her friends. Her own life? That was a bit of a different matter. If it meant that her friends were safe, she'd put herself in danger, in a heartbeat.

"**How much money went into making this temple?"** Shera snickered a little at Vahn's question, walking away from her companions a little to investigate what looked like a huge face made out of stone. Set in front of its jaw was a placard covered in green paint.

"**Doesn't matter. I found a book."** Shera blinked through the gloom at the beautiful blue light that marked where Gala was. He was between the others and Ozma, which ensured that all that the brunette saw of him was his silhouette. **"Think it's one of the books of prophecy?"**

The other three walked towards him to see what he'd found. Shera heard the creak of leather as Gala opened the book, and cringed a little at the thought of the pages falling apart before they got to see the message within.

"**Book of Prophecy, volume one."** Shera trotted a little to get to Gala's side as he started to read, ignoring the fact that her footsteps carried in the vast room. **"'To those who walk in the Mist: This is the First Prophecy. Read it well.'"** Shera smiled sheepishly at Vahn as he twisted to look at her as she joined them. **"'Be warned. Take heed. The Mist is Death in disguise. The Mist is a cradle of madness. History warns us: The Mist stops time. The Mist brings chaos. When the evil Mist appears from the west horizon, leave everything and run for your lives. The got Rem awaits you all, in the hot depths of the earth. Until the heroes of Ra-Seru defeat the Mist...' The rest is just illustrations."** Shera peered over Gala's shoulder at the pictures. They were ornate, and featured primarily Octam, but without all of the greenery.

"**Well, it did say it was volume one."** Shera smirked a bit at Vahn's point and backed away as Gala closed the book carefully. The pages rustled, and they all tensed, waiting for and dreading any of the pages sliding out of position. Thankfully, no such disaster occurred.** "Time to find the other volumes. The riddle said that there were four, right? So let's split up and find the second one."** He paused, and looked around at the Mist surrounding them. **"Everyone be careful. Yell if you need help."**

Shera nodded, and padded back the way she came. Something about that statue she found made her curious. She stopped by the one closest to the pagoda holding the first Book of Prophecy and smoothed her hand over the paint on the placard in front of it.

"'**North Gate, The Key is Earth.'"** A sound of curiousity came from Vahn as he paused, partway across the room, and looked at her. **"I wonder what that means..."** After a moment, Shera shrugged, and went to look at the placard painted green.

It held a similar message, stating that the 'East Gate' required the key of 'Wind'. Across the gloom, the brunette spotted a couple more stone faces, so she padded over to investigate them.

"**Found the second book!"** Shera was distracted by Noa's call, and trotted to where she'd heard the girl. She hadn't touched it aside from dusting off its gilded leather cover. She bounced in place as the boys arrived from where they'd wandered off to as Shera gently traced the lettering on the cover.

The woman glanced to Gala, who gestured for her to open it. She did so carefully, cringing slightly at the creak of the leather protesting movement after so long. She didn't feel the bindings give, thankfully, so she lifted Mule over the pages so that she could read it better.

"'**Book of Prophecy, volume two. To those who walk in the Mist: This is the Second Prophecy. Read it well. When reality turns into a nightmare and nightmares bring despair, the god Rem is the last hope. Rem leads humans to the depths of the Earth, and in his bosom destroys the Mist nightmare. But hear this, heroes of Ra-Seru, those who walk through the Mist. Thou must show a sign of being the heroes of Ra-Seru.'"** She paused for a moment to grimace. As if the fact that they had fought to get here hadn't been test enough, now they had to go through another gauntlet? **"'The path to Rem's bosom is ever steep and hidden in darkness. Gather at the Gate of Shadows. The path to Rem's bosom can be found only there.' The rest is illustrations."**

Shera paused, looking at the illustrations. They were a little faded, but thanks to how close Mule's light was to white, she could see the colors clearly. Red, blue, green, and yellow paint caught her attention. The others were still looking at the illustrations, but Shera had twisted to look at the statue she'd inspected earlier.

"**I wonder if those have anything to do with the Gate of Shadows. They don't exactly have an obvious use here."** Vahn blinked at Shera, looking confused. Finally, the brunette closed the book, being very careful. **"There should only be two more books. Is the third one there, or is that the fourth one?"** Shera gestured towards the pagoda merely steps away from them.

"**That's the fourth one. The third is next to the first one."** Shera snorted a little at that, and shook her head. She was a little bemused by the fact that they had to cross the entire room every time they wanted to read the next book.

On the way to the third book, Shera paused to look at the other two faces, noting the connection between the 'South Gate' and water, and the 'West Gate' and fire. She filed the information away in her mind in case they needed it later, for whatever reason.

"'**Book of Prophecy, volume three. To those who walk in the Mist: This is the Third Prophecy. Read it well. The path to Rem's bosom is at the Gate of Shadows. However, the mouth of the Gate of Shadows is shut. The Gate of Shadows is a stone flower. Only words carved Four Faces make the flower bloom.'"** Shera blinked as Vahn read the prophecy, and turned to look at the stone faces.

"**So that's why those are there."** Vahn paused to look at Shera over his shoulder. She jerked her thumb at the statues. **"There's something written on the placards in front of them. Each one has a direction and an element."** Vahn blinked again, and nodded, accepting the information that Shera gave him.

"'**Speak to the Four Faces. Find the words engraved in the Faces and engrave them in thine hearts.' Sounds like you've got that part managed, Shera."** Vahn flashed a smile to Shera, which she returned cheekily. **"The rest of this book is illustrations."** Shera peeked at the illustrations, and blinked at what looked like a large grey flower bud.

"**And now for the last book."** Gala sighed, already heading across the room. He paused as a buzzing sound echoed through the space, and Shera looked up, pulling her tonfas out from her belt with a couple of smooth movements.

Her weapons met with several large bees that swarmed around the four of them. Vahn cursed as one of them stung him on the arm, and sliced it in half. Gala had summoned a Seru that was cutting a wide swath through the insects. Noa yelped, and Shera saw her swipe at a clump of insects.

A slight tugging at her mind got Shera's attention on Mule, even as she put her body on autopilot, dodging and striking at parts of the swarm. The Ra-Seru didn't bother with words, sending his intentions directly into her mind. She nodded a bit, and spun away from the clump of bees that was still pursuing her.

"**Orb!"** Vahn glanced at Shera as she lifted her right hand, and Mule, into the air. The insects buzzed away from her a little, unsure of the power that was suddenly pulsing through the air.

The only Seru that Shera had acquired so far appeared in the center of the room, shifted once, and then shone brightly, lighting every corner of the room. The insects seemed confused, but the others sighed, their injuries and aches fading.

"**Zenoir!"** Shera glanced to Vahn as he summoned a fiery hand-shaped Seru to take out another clump of insects. The rest of the insects decided they'd had enough, and buzzed away. Shera panted a little as she looked up at the darkness.

"**You alright, Shera?"** The brunette looked to Noa, and nodded, rubbing the back of her wrist over her forehead. She grimaced before she shook her head abruptly, scowling to herself as she tried to rid herself of the lightheadedness that had accompanied using the Seru magic.

"**That was probably a lot more mental power than you were ready to use."** Gala had his hand gently touching Shera's back, frowning with concern as he made sure she wasn't about to fall over.

"**I'm fine. Let's go look at the last prophecy."** The others hesitated, but finally Vahn nodded, turning to start towards the last book, though he seemed to do so only reluctantly. A pale blue light brought Shera's attention to her Ra-Seru, and she smiled faintly. **"Besides, Mule says that the dizziness is only because I was doing something as I called on the Seru."**

That got Vahn to stop and look at her again, giving her a flat look. The brunette tilted her head to the side, giving him a curious look. He looked irked, but she had no idea what about. Gala chuckled, still next to Shera.

"**Give her a break, Vahn. None of us warned her that you need to put all your attention on it."** The blunette scowled at the ex-monk before sighing and finally sheathing his swords with a huff. Shera bit back a snicker. Her rival was really getting into his role as leader, including worrying about the others at all times.

"**Alright, alright. Just means we need to explain it later."** Shera snorted a little at the forced patience in Vahn's voice, and started to walk again. Gala walked behind her a bit, likely to keep an eye on her so that they knew if she fell over because of her dizziness or something like that.

Shera didn't even wobble as they walked to the last pagoda. Her head didn't come back to earth much, though. Everything seemed rather fuzzy to her, and she couldn't exactly sense if there were any Seru around anymore. It was a bit unnerving, but she'd gotten herself into the mess, so she just had to deal with the consequences.

"'**Book of Prophecy, volume four.'"** Vahn had stepped up to the book and opened it while Shera was distracted. She blinked a little and walked over to peer over his shoulder. **"'To those who walk in the Mist: this is the Fourth Prophecy. Read it well. The Gate of Shadows is a stone flower. The words of the Four Faces will cause a great flower to bloom. However, for the true Gate born in the flower, seek out the Key. That Key is the Star Pearl, a silent treasure that slumbers deep under the Palace of Rem. The Star Pearl will open the true Gate. Heroes, pass and take the ancient path to Rem's Bosom.' Well, that made absolutely no sense."** Noa giggled a little at Vahn, as well as Shera.

They all jumped as a loud thunk rumbled under their feet. Shera stumbled backwards as Vahn stepped back from the pagoda, the book still open on top of it. Gala caught the brunette as she almost fell, keeping her on her feet as the gilded pagoda _lifted_ and moved towards them. They had to backpedal a fair bit before it stopped.

None of them moved after it stopped for a couple of breaths, and then Noa darted past it to see what had been underneath it. Gala made sure that Shera had her feet under her again before going after Noa to make sure she wasn't about to get into trouble.

"**Vahn! Gala! Shera! Stairs! There are stairs there now! Wow!"** Vahn glanced to Shera before starting to where Noa was flapping her arms in her excitement. The brunette walked over to investigate as well, frowning as she felt fresh air flowing from the stairs.

"'**The secret will be revealed when you read the four books.' So this is what the message Hari gave to Sashia meant."** Shera hummed a little as she inched towards the stairs, holding her hand out towards it.

"**The air isn't stale, at least."** She grimaced and covered her nose in time to muffle a sneeze. **"Though there's still an awful lot of dust that's been kicked up."** Gala chuckled a bit at her and patted her on the back.

"**The Star Pearl must be at the bottom of the stairs. Let's go."** Shera sniffled a little to try to clear her nose as Vahn started down the stairs. They filed after him, with Gala taking up the rear so that he could keep an eye on the girls.

There was another set of stairs that they had to trek down, again without railings. Unlike the other set that they'd walked down, this flight of stairs was worryingly narrow. Gala was practically breathing down Shera's neck as he made sure that he was close enough to grab her arm if she started to fall.

The room that the stairs opened up to was drab compared to the gilded decorations that they had just departed from. Shera looked around carefully, and realized that the fresh air was coming from the room behind them now. Wherever the draft was, it certainly wasn't in here. That wasn't to say that it wasn't dusty. There was more dust here than there had been above, but it wasn't airborne.

The brunette crouched to look at the layer of dust underfoot as her companions walked forwards. Their own footprints were clear in the dust, but theirs weren't the only ones. Shera scowled and shook her head to try to clear it again so she could focus on figuring out the details of the footprints. They were fresh, so it wasn't from whenever the people of the city left. And they'd probably left through here, seeing as the column in the middle of the room was an elevator.

"**Well, well! So you're here to look for treasure, too?"** The lilting voice got Shera's attention immediately. Her head snapped up to look at the door, having heard the sound come from that direction.

Vahn and Gala scrambled in the dust to dart around the elevator to Shera's side as she stood, brushing the film of dust from her fingertips. Noa accidentally kicked up some of the dust, getting a grimace from the older woman.

"**Who are you?!"** The redhead looked remarkably fierce as she slid into her ready stance. Shera shook her head at that a little, somewhat bemused. She hadn't thought that the little girl that had been so oblivious and happy to meet new people in the Drake Kingdom would think to be on edge while meeting a new person.

"**I thought you said you didn't sense anyone in the city."** Shera glanced to Gala for his murmur, noticing that his lips barely moved. She had to wonder where he learned that skill, but now wasn't the time to ask.

"**I didn't. Since I called on the Orb, though, I haven't been able to sense anything."** Shera barely even heard herself, but Gala seemed to have heard her. He grunted a little and scowled at the woman that was stepping through the only door in the room.

"**What are you doing here?"** Vahn didn't seem to have heard the conversation between his rival and the ex-monk in their group. He was towards the back of the group, but that might have simply been because of the fact that he'd led the others to investigate the elevator.

The woman laughed a bit and stepped into clear sight, propping her gloved hands on her hips. She wore fingerless gloves that were tucked into bracers topped with a strip of fur. Her hair was a bright pink and cut short to her chin in a practical style. Shera couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at the woman's armor, which didn't even touch her shoulders. She didn't seem to have any shirt that went over her shoulders, either, as they were bare. Her leggings were practical enough, though Shera thought they were a bit too tight for proper fighting. Her boots, what Shera could see past the dust and the Mist, were well-used and practical.

"**What am I doing? Some greeting that is!"** She didn't sound insulted as she pirouetted without taking her hands off of her hips. Shera's grimace grew even more. She didn't seem to be wearing a shirt, and her armor didn't protect all of her back, with only a couple of pieces of fabric to keep it on her, around the shoulder blades and around her hips. **"I should be asking you what you're doing here!"**

Shera's eyes narrowed. She didn't like this woman. She seemed shifty. **"We're checking to see if there were any traces of where the city's residents went."** Even she was surprised by how much of a growl her voice was. The stranger stared at her for a moment, her head tilted to the side to keep her hair out of her eyes.

"**Hm. Let me introduce myself. I am Cara, a two-bit thief!"** Shera's hackles went up. She'd been right, the woman was as shifty as they came. The pink-haired woman smirked at the reaction. Noa didn't seem to have noticed Shera's reaction.

"**I'm Noa! This is Vahn, Gala, and Shera!"** Shera's hands drifted close to her tonfas, but didn't grasp them. Gala had gotten the same feeling as Shera had, but he was more comfortable without a weapon in his hands, even now. Not that either of them were expecting the woman to attack them for their goods.

"**Alright, **_**Cara**_**. I ask you again. What are you doing here?"** Shera glanced over her shoulder at Vahn for the venom in his voice. The look on Noa's face told the brunette that the girl was starting to understand that this woman wasn't exactly a potential friend at this point.

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**End Notes:** Yaaay, Shera got her first Seru! And then summoned it sorta wrong. XD Let me tell you folks, keeping the logistics of this story isn't easy. I have to remember to go and remove things that the characters used that are consumable. Then there's the accessories, armor, weapons, Seru, and things that the game didn't even go into, like food, water, and clothing. Never let it be said that writing an adventure fanfic is easy.

Remember, reviews make me want to update faster! Though my pace right now is a bit unusual. XD

**_Read, enjoy, and review!_**


	21. Echoes

**Authoress' Notes:** Yep, another chapter! I've got a plot point that I'd like to get to, and I just rewrote what I have down for the epilogue. Y'all are gonna hate me for that, I can already tell.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 20: Echoes**

The pink-haired woman laughed, moving one hand to cover her mouth politely as she looked at the group of travelers. **"Oh, you make me laugh! I'm doing what you are – sneak thieving!"** Shera had to bite back a snarl. This woman actually thought that they were thieves!

"**Sneak thieving? What's that?"** Shera finally settled her hands on her tonfas and gripped them hard, but didn't show any intention of pulling them out of her belt. She was simply gripping them hard so that she didn't hurt her hands by clenching them too tight. Gala heaved a sigh at Noa's innocence, and turned to look at her.

"**It's something bad. It's stealing from people."** Noa frowned at that, and skipped forwards a little to bounce in front of Cara, though not too closely. She seemed to have finally picked up that the other three didn't trust the thief.

"**That's wrong! Sneak thieving is wrong! I hate bad people!"** Shera closed her eyes with a soft sigh at that, her feet spreading a little to keep her balance. She was still feeling faintly dizzy, and it wouldn't do for her to fall over in front of this thief.

Cara scoffed at Noa, her pretty face twisting a fair bit with her disgust. **"Ha! Give me a break! Stop talking like a goodie two-shoes!"** Shera took a deep breath before opening her eyes again, and stared directly at Cara as Noa squealed with anger. The thief turned to look at the brunette again. **"You mean you're going home empty handed, even though everyone ran away and the town is deserted?"**

Shera and Vahn both nodded. The thief scoffed again, shaking her head with disbelief. The two brunettes exchanged glances, and Gala stepped forwards, closer to the stranger than Noa was.

"**So everyone did run away?"** Cara slid around the group to lean against the elevator near the door. Shera kept a firm eye on her, staying out of arm's reach of the woman.

"**Oh, boy, you guys are really clueless! That's right. Everyone's gone!"** Shera took a quiet but deep breath to calm herself down. She didn't want to lose control around this woman. Mule wasn't talking, but he was contributing to her effort to stay calm. **"They knew the Mist was coming, and took the elevator to an underground shelter to hide." **

Shera blinked a little, frowning. She knew that by all rights, they should have been underwater, as they were already under sea level. She couldn't remember what reason Tetsu had given her back when she'd asked why the Genesis Tree wasn't surrounded by seawater when she was a child, but she doubted that it was the same reason.

"**Underground? Shelter?"** Shera glanced to Noa, but she was looking to Vahn for her answers.** "So he's still alive! Hari's still alive! Let's take the elevator and go find him!"** Shera sighed, and Cara huffed, shaking her head.

"**Sorry, kid, but the elevator won't work. It's locked, probably as a safety precaution."** Shera narrowed her eyes at Cara again, wondering if she was the reason why they hadn't found much of anything in the city. The two things that they did find were really only useful to fighters.

Noa whined at the answer that she got, and sulked. Cara sashayed back towards the door, and again Shera kept an eye on the thief, even as she kept her back to the group. Her face creased into even more of a scowl, an odd sort of fury building inside of her.

"**Oh, brother. Uh, say...If it's valuables you're after, there are none here. The townspeople must have taken everything with them when they went underground."** Shera cast an eye over the woman, and bristled again when she saw the thief smiling at her, a smug look on her face. All she'd been doing was looking her over to make sure that there weren't any pouches that she'd missed the first time!

They all jumped a little as the thief did a backflip towards the door. The pink-haired woman smiled widely at their surprised expressions and bowed mockingly. She then propped her hands on her hips again and shifted her weight to one hip.

"**The only thing I found was some measly jewel, called the Star Pearl, or something like that."** All four of them tensed at that, and Gala darted forwards. Cara spooked, and zipped back into the doorway.

"**Wait a minute, Cara! The Star Pearl! Where is it!?"** Cara, safe in the darkness of the doorway, scoffed. Shera growled faintly in the back of her throat, her entire body stiff.

"**You want that piece of junk?"** The pink-haired woman laughed scornfully, and after a moment, continued to speak. **"Well, then, I'll tell you where it is! I palmed the Star Pearl off on a jeweler in...Jeremi, I think. His name was Zalen or something."** Shera's eyes widened a little.

There was a rustle of fabric on the other side of the doorway, and Gala moved to portal, being sure to move a little slower this time. **"Cara, wait! We still have much to ask you!"** The noise paused, and Cara spoke again, though from farther away.

"**Oh, yeah? Well, I don't have anything to say to you! See you later!"** Shera huffed and crossed her arms as the sound of Cara leaving faded, a scowl on her face. Gala had crossed his arms as well, but he looked far more puzzled than Shera did.

"**I don't get it. How can she travel through the Mist on her own, at will and without a Ra-Seru?"** Shera barely noticed as Vahn sighed, looking between her and the door. She was too busy grumbling in her own head.

"**Who knows?"** Shera even sounded grumpy, still scowling at the door. Finally, she sighed, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down. **"At least we know that Zalan has the Star Pearl. We should be able to get there instantly if we use a Gate of Wind, and then back here with another."** She paused, and looked up at the ceiling after a moment. **"Where is the Gate of Shadows, anyhow? The books didn't say."**

Vahn heaved a sigh at Shera's point, and rubbed at his face, leaving a smear of gray from the dust that had been on his hand. Noa was bouncing in place from excitement at the lead on the jewel, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it was only part of what they needed.

"**Right. Back to Jeremi it is. Let's head back to the surface."** Shera nodded and started for the door, her right hand lifted to light her way. After a couple of steps, she sneezed again, which was echoed by Gala. Vahn snickered, and then sneezed himself. **"Okay, before we all sneeze our heads off."** Now it was Shera's turn to laugh.

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It took them a while to fly to Jeremi, so they got there at nightfall. The people that were nearest the entrance to the town gave them startled looks, having seen the light of the spell in the twilight sky.

The innkeeper was astonished by how dusty the four of them were when he saw them, and talked his wife into starting a couple of baths. The woman almost had a heart attack as she saw the amount of dust clinging to Shera and Noa when they walked in, and fussed over them until Shera finally talked her into leaving.

Vahn and Gala, in the meantime, had gone to see Zalan, dust and all. By the time they got back, the girls were still scrubbing, so they had to wait for their turn. Noa was done faster than Shera was, having less hair to wash.

When the girls finally were done with their bath, the innkeeper's wife bustled them off to a room with two beds in it, along with a couple of dresses that were clean and would fit them.

"**I'll wash your traveling clothes in the morning, dears. Don't you worry about that. You go ahead and rest. All four of you look like you need a good night's sleep."** Shera sighed and tousled her hair a little before pulling the dress on, and did her best to keep her still-dripping hair from touching the cloth.

"**Thank you. I'm afraid that all of us are a bit useless when it comes to domestic situations." **The innkeeper's wife giggled a little at that, and pointed Shera to a chair, pulling a brush from somewhere under her apron.

"**I don't mind. Part of what my job here is, is to do those duties for travelers like the four of you. You have very long hair. Perhaps you'd fare better with a foot or so cut off?"** Shera paused at that, thinking.

"**...That might be a good idea, but I'm sort of attached to it being the length that it is."** The woman started to do a rather intricate braid on Shera's hair as Noa sat and watched her fingers intently. Shera merely kicked her feet idly, her face tilted down to let the woman plait her damp hair.

After a while, there was a knock on the door. Shera looked towards it without moving her head, as the innkeeper's wife was pinning up her braid. Noa got the hint, and went to answer the door.

"**Are you two done yet?"** Vahn sounded a little grumpy, for whatever reason, while Gala was hiding a grin behind his hand. Noa blinked at the two of them before turning to look at the two women behind her.

"**Finally done."** Shera stood with a sigh, and rolled her shoulders to crack her back and neck. She reached up and patted at her head gently, and blinked at the fact that the braid was actually compacted quite nicely.

"**Finally."** Shera sounded a little weary, and moved to the door, blinking at the surprised look on Vahn's face. **"What? I wasn't about to have a wet braid soaking my clothing."** She briefly cast her eyes over what the two men were wearing, and lifted an eyebrow.

She could guess that Vahn was a little grumpy about the fact that he was wearing a tunic that was three sizes too big for him that was belted around his waist to prove how much he was swimming in it, but she had seen him when he was younger and wearing a hand-me-down from his father that was bigger.

"**...I can't say that I can remember the last time you had your hair up like that..."** Shera snorted at him and propped her hands on her hips, shifting her weight to one side.

"**That's because this is the first time I've had my hair up like this. I usually just have it **_**back**_**."** Noa snickered, and Vahn ducked his head, his ears turning pink. Shera shook her head a little and stepped out of the room.

"**I suppose that means my husband is done with dinner?"** Vahn's attention turned to the matronly woman that was wiping dampness off of her fingers as she walked towards the door. He nodded a little woodenly, and she chuckled.

"**Vahn was complaining about being hungry, so we were sent to see where the girls were,"** Gala offered, still hiding a smile. Shera's stomach growled loudly, and she grimaced. **"And it sounds like we aren't the only ones hungry."** Gala got a mild glare as Shera pushed her way out of the room.

Dinner certainly smelled very good as they arrived. The meat was game meat, again, but it didn't taste much like what they'd had at the Mayor's house. It tasted much milder, somehow.

The innkeeper and his wife both asked after their travels, which earned a soft sigh from Shera, but the others obliged. Shera looked rather grumpy until Vahn apologized to the innkeeper and his wife, telling them that she'd had a bit of a rough day. The innkeeper's wife then fussed over the brunette again, helping her back to the room that had been set aside for the girls and getting her a nightgown.

The peace and quiet was nice for Shera, who had been getting a headache since summoning a Seru's powers from Mule for the first time. She lay on her belly and buried her head under the pillow, groaning into the sheets as she tried to will her headache out of existence.

"**If you want, I can help you fall asleep.****"** The brunette blinked as Mule sent his thoughts to her, and she sent an affirmative feeling towards him, too tired to bother forming her thoughts into words. She felt amusement from her partner before a gentle darkness fell over her mind, sending her into a blissful sleep.

When Noa walked into the room, she noticed that Mule was glowing faintly. Shera looked peaceful in her sleep, though, breathing evenly and deeply. Her hair wasn't even mussed, so she hadn't been tossing and turning.

"**I guess she was really tired..."** Noa shrugged and changed into her nightgown, crawling into bed and forcing herself to relax. She had an easier time of it than Shera did, and feel asleep shortly.

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Shera wasn't sure what she'd been dreaming of when she woke up. All she knew was that she felt rested and she wasn't entirely sure when she'd gone to sleep. It was odd for her, seeing as she was used to knowing roughly when she'd slept, usually because she knew how long she'd laid in bed trying to fall asleep.

She simply rolled over in bed and blinked at the ceiling a bit, wondering briefly why her head was at the angle it was at until she remembered that the innkeeper's wife had done her hair up in a rather intricate pattern.

The brunette sat up with a soft grunt and rubbed at her forehead. She only remembered about the seal that had been painted onto her skin when either someone pointed it out to her, or when she looked in a mirror.

A glance out the window told the brunette that it was just before dawn, and she groaned a little before stretching and patting around to try to find her tunic and trousers. She blinked as all she found was a dress that certainly wasn't hers.

The memory of the innkeeper's wife telling her and Noa that she'd wash their travel clothes came back to the brunette, and she sighed with a little aggravation. She still got up and stretched carefully, being thoughtful of the nightgown she was still wearing.

She couldn't go through her normal morning routine, but she did stretch enough to not feel stiff. Mule woke up a while after she was up, and sent a questioning thought to her. She smiled at him as she walked outside.

The 'heroes of the Ra-Seru', as they had finally started to get used to, weren't the only travelers staying at the inn. Shera hadn't seen them the night before, but they had taken the room that she and the others had slept in during their previous stays.

One of the other travelers was outside when Shera padded out to sit and watch the sun rise. She paused at the door, blinking at him. He was a Biron Monk, aged, certainly, but still moving with a firm set of movements. The pretty brunette sidled aside from the door, pressing her hands to the wall behind her as she watched.

Finally, the man, well-tanned with graying hair, noticed her, and stopped his routine to stare intently at her. She smiled sheepishly at him, and pushed off of the wall, brushing herself off. She stepped forwards a bit and bowed to him, placing one fist inside the gently curved palm of the other in the manner of those who were trained under a monk of Biron.

He looked somewhat surprised but bowed in return, his shoulders relaxing a little. He no longer scowled at her, rather at the Ra-Seru that covered her right forearm. Mule shivered a little at him, flicking his fins at the monk.

"**It is the rare woman that Biron acknowledges."** Shera blinked at him, and then noticed that the necklace that the token Master Zopu had given her was resting on her chest. She smiled faintly and pressed her fingers to it.

"**I am not a normal woman. I received this long before I became partners with Mule here."** Shera lifted her right arm so that her Ra-Seru caught what little light there was. **"I was trained by Master Tetsu, in Rim Elm."** The name of Shera's master brought a smile to the strange monk's face.

"**Tetsu taught you? He must have changed a fair bit after leaving the monastery. I heard so many times that he and I were equal in terms of dislike of people."** Shera giggled a little at that, and moved to the edge of the pedestal, carefully sitting down with her legs hanging over the side.

"**He's told me more than once that I changed him more than living in Rim Elm ever did."** She paused and looked down, a small smile on her face. **"Though, he still calls me his best student and I still disagree with him. Vahn, one of my companions, is a fair bit better than me."** The monk sat down a few feet away from her, sighing a bit as he relaxed.

"**If my old friend claimed you as his best student, he likely isn't kidding. Something that he excelled at, even more than our teachers, was placing the natures of the people around him. Well, that and predicting what folk will do. I wonder if he ever mastered that technique of feeling everything around him?"** Shera blushed a little at looked down.

"**Not completely, but he was able to teach it to me. Master Zopu said that I'm better at it than he was."** That got a shocked look from the monk, and she smiled shyly at him, kicking her legs. She barely seemed to notice that the dress she was wearing didn't cover up the scar she had on her leg. Nor was she wearing her boots, having walked outside barefoot.

"**Truly?"** Shera nodded, and brushed a couple of wisps of hair out of her eyes. She turned her sea-colored eyes towards the horizon as it started to change color. **"Hunh. I thought only someone who had completely devoted themselves could master that..."** The brunette shrugged.

"**I haven't exactly mastered it, either. I get a headache if I use it too long or too often. I think the longest that I can use it before I have to stop because of a blinding headache is two minutes."** The monk blinked at her, and she smiled. **"Yeah. I could probably do it longer if I practiced it often enough, but I don't have the safety needed for that."**

"**Indeed we don't. I'm a bit surprised that you're up already, Shera."** The brunette turned her head and smiled as she saw Gala. **"You strained yourself yesterday, and looked dizzy until going to bed early."**

The ex-monk wasn't wearing a shirt, revealing that he'd gained a few scars on his arms since leaving the monastery. He ran his fingers through his hair, not even noticing that he no longer tried to do so with his right hand. He froze as he noticed the older monk, but the man flapped a hand at him.

"**Don't worry yourself, young one. If you were accepted by a Holy Seru like the one you have on your arm, I'm not about to prosecute you."** The ex-monk relaxed slowly, and Shera leaned back in her spot, earning a couple of cracks from her shoulders.

"**He hasn't even given me any grief for the token that Master Zopu gave me, Gala. I don't think he's going to bother you for Ozma."** Gala snorted a bit at that, and moved to sit down on Shera's other side. The girl glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smirked a little. **"You see? Not all monks are such sticklers for the rules as you are."** The ex-monk blushed and growled a little as his elder laughed.

"**I believe all monks go through that phase. It lasts longer for some than for others. There will always be exceptions for the rules. What Biron teaches us is when to be rigid and when to be willing to bend."** Shera blinked at him, and hummed thoughtfully, kicking her legs again. **"Shera, wasn't it? Where did you get that scar on your leg?"**

Both of the brunettes blinked at the elderly monk as he peered at the lower part of Shera's leg, where she had a large scar stretching along the length of it. She leaned over a little and tilted her leg to the side to get a better look at it herself.

"**Oh, that? It's a souvenir from a battle that happened on top of Mount Rikuroa. Vahn, Noa, and I were fighting a Seru called Caruban. I wasn't as careful of where my limbs were, and got a flap of flesh peeled off. It took several days for it to heal, even with Vahn healing me."** The monk frowned a little.

"**Hmm...You must have had a hard time moving with that injury. You're lucky to have friends that you can rely on."** Shera smiled brightly and shrugged. Gala was scowling towards the ocean, seemingly lost in thought.

"**I protect my friends and they protect me. Until we came here and revived the Genesis Tree, I was the only member of the group that didn't have a Ra-Seru. Mule here was sleeping in the tree at the top of the Sky Gardens."** The pretty brunette pointed at the tower, which she could see was already bathed in the first rays of dawn. **"Had I been compatible with Ozma, it's entirely likely that Gala would have stayed behind."**

The ex-monk sent Shera a glance for that, his scowl deepening. The woman ignored the look, though. She kicked her legs, and then blinked at her Ra-Seru as he glowed faintly. She giggled a little, and then got up to stretch.

"**Vahn's awake. He fell out of bed."** Gala cracked a smile at that, snorting. The elderly monk gave the two of them an odd look, and Shera smiled apologetically. **"Our Ra-Seru can speak to each other. Meta, Vahn's partner, thought that Mule and I would find it amusing that Vahn woke up by falling out of bed."** Now the monk chuckled a little.

Vahn himself walked out after a few minutes, as bare-chested as Gala. Shera waved to him with a cheeky smile, and he blinked at her, and then stretched, yawning. Shera started to turn away, but kept watching him out of the corner of her eye as he cracked his back.

"**I'm a little surprised you're up already, Shera."** The blunette paused and then scratched his ear with a yawn. **"Then again, you were the first one to head to bed."** The brunette finally pulled her eyes off of Vahn, shrugging as she watched the dawning sun's reflection on the water.

"**I was tired."** Vahn snorted a little and started to go through the morning routine that he and Shera shared. The brunette hummed softly to herself as she enjoyed the morning sun, barely even twitching as Gala and the elderly monk both got up to join her rival.

"**Shera?"** The brunette blinked and looked over her shoulder at Noa, who was dressed similar to her, though her hair was down. The girl giggled a little and leaned back, having poked the older girl in the shoulder to get her attention. **"Breakfast is ready."** Shera smiled a little and got up, brushing herself off. The boys had headed indoors already, though Vahn was still standing by the door to wait for them.

Breakfast was soup again, but none of them seemed to care much. The monk that Shera had befriended wasn't the only one present, though he was the one that seemed to be the most easygoing. Shera was glad that she had hidden the token that Master Zopu had given her before coming inside.

Once dinner was done, Shera excused herself and went to put her boots on. She went and headed up to the Sky Gardens again, but faced away from the town while she had her back to the Genesis Tree, looking north towards Vidna.

"**Is something bothering you, Shera?****"** The brunette sighed a little as Mule asked his question. She tucked her feet next to her rear and hugged her knees to her chest, keeping the skirt of her dress against her skin.

"**It's just...We have no idea where to go. We don't know where the Gate of Shadows is."** She kept her voice low, not wanting the gardeners to hear her confide in her partner. **"Simply traveling without a destination in mind isn't exactly something that we've ever done before. It's dangerous, too. If we don't have enough food or water and we're nowhere near a landmark...If we head back to town with a Door of Wind, we'll have to wander around again, probably covering the same ground."**

The Ra-Seru was silent for a while, thinking. Shera could feel him thinking almost as clearly as she could feel herself think. The thought that maybe she was closer to her partner than her companions were to theirs had crossed her mind before, but she had never asked. It seemed like it'd be a hard thing to compare.

"**Perhaps asking the monks would be best. They may scowl at us because of me, but they ought to know more about the land than we do. Your new friend said that they had traveled through the Sebucus Islands prior to the Mist appearing, so perhaps he knows where the Gate of Shadows is.****"** Shera hummed a little and tilted her head to the side as well.

"**That's...a good idea. Thank you, Mule."** She patted her partner with a smile, running her finger along his spine in the way that he liked it. **"I wonder where they've gone to."**

"**Where who has gone to?"** The brunette jumped with a slight gasp at the voice that came to her right, and turned to look. The elderly monk that had been kind to her that morning was standing there, dressed in drab but very serviceable clothing. **"You were speaking with your partner, yes?"**

The brunette blushed, nodded, and stood, brushing herself off. She was a little embarrassed that someone had found her while she was having a private conversation with someone that most people couldn't hear.

"**I was, yes. Um...I have a question for you, that has to do with the task that my friends and I have been working on."** She shuffled her feet a little, a bit embarrassed yet. **"Have you ever heard of the Gate of Shadows?"** The monk blinked, surprised by the question.

"**I have, yes, but why are you asking after it?"** Shera moved so that she wasn't quite so near the edge of the tower, and leaned against the Genesis Tree, the reverberation with it helping her to keep her calm.

"**We're supposed to go there. Hari left us a message in Octam. We're supposed to find the refugees of Octam by going through the Gate of Shadows."** The monk blinked at her, and crossed his arms, pointing a thoughtful look at her.

"**The four of you are so young, and yet the lives of so many rest on you...Have you a map?"** Shera hesitated, and sighed, shaking her head. The map was with their satchel, and that was back at the inn, likely safe in Vahn and Gala's room. **"I do."**

The brunette perked up as the monk pulled a cloth map from a pouch on his belt, and pushed off of the tree to lean over the ancient thing as the monk spread it on the ground. Her eyes widened as she saw how many islands were in the Sebecus region.

"**Here's Jeremi, here. Vidna is to the north, here. And here is Octam. The Gate of Shadows is farther east. It's nestled in these mountains here."** Shera smiled as the monk pointed out where the gate ought to be.

"**I see...The bridge between Vidna and Octam is still in one piece, but the bridge here...I don't think we've seen it, so it's possible that it's been washed out..."** The monk shook his head, grinning.

"**Not that bridge. Van Saryu, the ruler of the Sebecus region, ensured that that particular bridge, and all others between Ratayu and Octam, will stand for centuries, even without maintenance."** Shera let loose a sigh of relief, and knelt to get a better look at the map.

"**Do you know where any other Genesis Trees are? Those are our primary destinations."** The monk chuckled a little, and shifted his hand to the north, tapping his finger on a mountain next to the dot marked Ratayu.

"**The only other Genesis Tree I'm aware of is here. The Sebecus Region isn't as blessed with the presence of the holy trees like the Drake Kingdom is."** Shera blinked at that, and tilted her head to the side, eyeballing the distance between the town of Vidna and Ratayu.

"**Hm...That's a fair distance... Might take a while for us to get there."** The monk nodded, and tapped the other dots in between. Shera noticed abruptly that the man's hands were well callused and covered in scars.

"**I don't know if these towns and villages are still there, but they ought to at least serve as shelter for you. Not to mention they'll have fresh water springs for you to refill your canteens at."** Shera nodded, and then blinked as she felt her companions walking through the maze. Or rather, she felt their Ra-Seru's presences. **"Mm?"** The monk didn't seem to sense them, but had seen her reaction.

"**Shera! Thought we'd find you here. Oh! Hello again."** The monk blinked as Vahn walked around the corner of the hedge. The blunette bowed slightly to the monk. Like the night before, he was wearing a tunic far too big for him.

"**Vahn, he knows where the Gate of Shadows is!"** The others looked as excited for that piece of information as Shera had been. Noa cheered as she bounced in place, still wearing the faded green dress that had been loaned to her.

"**Excellent! We went and got the Star Pearl from Zalan."** Shera smiled brightly, relieved at that. **"Oh! The innkeeper's wife asked us to tell you that she's doing the laundry, so our clothes should be clean and dry by nightfall."** Shera sighed with relief at that.

"**Good. I'm not fond of wearing a dress."** Gala chuckled at that, and moved to look at the map. After a couple of seconds of looking at it, he pulled out their map from the pouch at the back of his belt and spread it on the ground.

The two of them were soon absorbed into a conversation on the terrain that they were going to cover on their way to the Gate of Shadows. Shera sat against the tree to listen as Noa wandered around the garden to explore and admire it, with Vahn trailing along behind to keep her out of trouble.

None of them noticed the other three monks arriving until Shera heard a throat cleared. She blinked at them and lifted an eyebrow at them. The foremost of them scowled directly at her, sitting comfortably against the trunk of the Genesis Tree with her feet tucked up against her while watching Gala with the maps.

"**How dare you disrespect the holy tree!"** Shera closed her eyes with a short sigh, and pushed herself to her feet, brushing herself off. The monk didn't even pause, continuing to rant at her about how a heretic like her didn't have the right to touch the tree.

"**You do realize that my companions and I were the ones to revive this tree? As well as the three surviving trees in the Drake Kingdom. My partner, Mule, was sleeping in this very tree until we arrived."** Shera's cold tone shut down the monks. **"Do not assume that you know everything. We have been traveling to free the lands of the Mist, whereas everyone else has been hiding and praying but doing nothing."**

The monks hesitated, and then looked past the furious brunette to the monk and ex-monk that were now looking at them from behind her. Neither looked amused.

"**For shame. Have you forgotten? Biron asks for everyone that follows him to love and forgive others."** The friendly monk sounded disappointed, not angry. **"Perhaps you three should return to the monastery and relearn this."** The three monks turned red from anger and embarrassment. None of them said anything before leaving. **"I apologize for them. They've spent so long in the company of no one but other monks that they have forgotten that grace in the face of difference is key."** Shera sighed a little and turned to look at the Biron elder.

"**It's alright. To be honest, I've had to face similar situations in Rim Elm."** The man blinked, his eyebrows rising. Shera gave him a wry smile. She knew that the fact that she was as self-assured as she was, was entirely uncommon, especially in the face of constant opposition. Which was something she'd faced with Rim Elm's Village Elder.

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**End Notes:** Yeah, I had some monks be butts here. Not everyone is going to be nice to the group, and I figure that there are some sects of Biron that hate all Seru, regardless of their use. I may have a few of these monks make appearances much later, I may not. It depends on what I feel like.

Remember that reviews make me want to update faster!

**_Read, enjoy, and review!_**


	22. Into the Chasm

**Authoress' Notes:** Weeeeee, tired... I got next to no sleep last night, and then had to go to class this morning. And, irony of ironies, the lecture was on the states of consciousness. Psychology is full of irony sometimes.

I'll probably have to look over what I wrote since class, but as far as I can tell right now, there's no difference between when I'm fully awake and writing, and when I'm groggy and writing.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Legaia.

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**Chapter 21: Into the Chasm**

Shera sighed with relief as she settled her armor on her torso again, finally feeling dressed again. There was a slight scent of body odor attached to the armor still, but that was almost to be expected after traveling for so long.

"**Hehehe. Didn't feel right, wearing a dress."** Shera grinned over her shoulder at Noa as the girl settled her own armor in place. Shera buckled her armor into place and rolled her shoulders to ensure that she was wearing it right.

"**No kidding. I swear half the people in town didn't recognize me unless they saw Mule."** Noa giggled at that, stomping her feet to adjust her shoes before scooping up her satchel.

Vahn had decided to buy three more satchels to carry supplies in so that everyone had enough food for an extended trip. He bought several more canteens as well, so that they weren't limited in how much water they had. After dinner the night before, they'd sat down and organized their healing items so that everyone had some.

"**You girls ready?"** Shera turned to the door as Vahn poked his head in. Breakfast hadn't yet happened, but they'd been outside to stretch before dawn, all four of them. So he knew that they were dressed.

"**Yeah. We're eating before we head off to Octam?"** Vahn nodded, his own satchel already draped across his shoulders. Shera picked her own up and ducked her head through the loop that would keep it on her.

The monk that had befriended them smiled as he saw them troop into the dining room of the inn. He and Gala had been looking over the maps, updating the one that the four Ra-Seru heroes had been using and marking down some towns for them to stop in.

"**Good morning. You four look ready to set out."** Gala glanced up at the elder's greeting, and waved one hand to his companions before applying the tip of his brush to their map to carefully inscribe the name of a town.

"**We are, once we've eaten. I have to admit, we were feeling rather defeated when we returned to Jeremi, but thanks to you, our morale has been boosted again."** The monk smiled, but waved off the compliment.

"**It's the least that I can do for those that are journeying to save the known world from the Mist."** Shera cheered the arrival of breakfast, and tucked into the soup with a will. Noa had braided her hair back, over the circlet that Zalan had made for them, so her hair was trailing along her back to her waist once again.

"**You'd be surprised how few people help us."** Shera eyed Vahn out of the corner of her eye, lifting an eyebrow at him.** "At most, we'll get a discount on something we're buying anyhow, or a place to spend the night. King Drake gave us some clothing, a way to continue on our quest, and food, but he's better off than most."**

"**He also offered us a place to stay whenever we stopped by."** Vahn nodded to Shera's point as the brunette slurped up the last of her breakfast. She was used to eating quickly, thanks to weeks of travel.

"**That's true enough."** Shera chuckled and stood up from the table and took her dishes to the kitchen, where she rinsed them herself. She then padded outside to practice with her tonfas a little.

It was getting harder for her to use the weapons, with Mule on her right arm. Occasionally, she'd hit her tonfa on him when he wasn't paying as close attention in the heat of battle. Unfortunately, the techniques she'd learned required her to use both tonfas to be at her best. The faster that she fought, the more often she smacked Mule.

"**Maybe you should learn a new weapon...****"** Shera sighed at Mule's suggestion and tucked her tonfas into her belt. She knew that Mule hurt whenever it happened. She always felt it in the back of her head.

"**Maybe...I'd have to learn a completely new style, though..."** A passing townsperson gave her an odd look, but she ignored him. She turned as Vahn and the others padded out of the inn.

"**All ready?"** Shera nodded, grinning excitedly as she propped her hands on her hips. The other three moved to stand in a small circle, and Vahn dug out their last Door of Wind – they hadn't been able to find a place that sold them here, for whatever reason – and activated it, kicking the wind up.

Shera still felt a strange thrill of fear while they were in the air. She kept expecting for the feeling of earth under her feet to disappear, even though she knew it wouldn't. She didn't dare close her eyes, either, as the only other thing that told her that they hadn't yet arrived was the altitude. As it was, she did enjoy seeing the world from above the Mist. Just so long as she wasn't falling towards it.

It only took a few minutes for them to make the jump between Jeremi and Octam, so Shera didn't have to wait long to have cobblestones under her feet again. They all stumbled just a little at the landing, but only the tiniest bit.

"**And now to walk all the way around and up to the bridge."** Vahn sighed at Shera's words, but they all obligingly walked out of the city and along the overgrown road, settling into their regular pace that would get them to the bridge in a matter of days.

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Shera sighed as she lay back on the damp grass, looking up at the moon through the Mist. They were camping next to the bridge, which, thankfully, was still intact. Their fire was minimal, guttering under the ashes.

"**Shera, go to sleep."** The brunette turned her head to look at Vahn, who was standing guard. She huffed and sat up again, stretching her legs out.

"**I'm just a little anxious. It'll pass."** Vahn scoffed a little at that, being quiet so as to not wake Gala or Noa. She really was having a hard time calming down.

"**Then be quieter."** The brunette scowled at her rival, wondering why he was being so brusque all of a sudden. He was normally one of the easier-going members of the group, after all.

Then again, they had been ambushed several times that day. The monsters were getting steadily stronger, as well as the Mist. No doubt Vahn was rather tired. They all were. She was just feeling jumpy, that's why she couldn't calm down enough to sleep.

The brunette lay down again, thinking. From what their monk friend had told them, most travelers used to travel with a beast of burden or a wagon to carry their goods, leaving them with their hands and energy free to fight.

The four of them couldn't exactly afford that luxury. If they had done that, one of them would always be left with their belongings, to ensure that they didn't go missing. All too often, they needed all four of them to take down an enemy or four.

An odd feeling of pressure washed over the brunette, and she recognized it as Mule gently pushing her into sleep before she slipped into unconsciousness. She was starting to rely on her partner for so much now.

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"**You're sure that it's around here?"** Vahn sighed at Shera's question as they hiked up yet another hill. They'd spent the last three days combing over the area, trying to find the Gate of Shadows. The thick Mist wasn't helping them spot the curst thing, either.

"**As sure as I can be."** Gala sounded as though his patience was being worn down as much as Vahn's was. There was only so much that they could stand of each other when they were all frustrated, and they were rapidly reaching that level.

"**Is that it?"** They all sighed at Noa's question. She'd been asking it many times the past several days, and usually was pointing towards something that didn't look much at all like what they were looking for.

Now, though, she was. She was standing at the top of the hill, pointing at something on the other side of it. Shera had a bit of an odd look on her face as she spotted what it was Noa had spotted.

"**You know what? I think it is."** It was fairly early in the morning still, so their camp had been maybe an hour to the south. None of them had thought that they were so close to the Gate of Shadows.

Four stone faces faced inwards towards what looked like a giant stone flower bud. There were bushes and grasses growing all around the five pieces, but it still looked like it had once been cared for.

The travelers carefully hiked down to the area, looking around. It seemed like a place where monsters would lurk, to try to capture anyone foolish enough to investigate the landmark.

"**Oh, what a letdown!"** All four Ra-Seru heroes set on edge as soon as they heard the strange voice. Shera pulled out only one of her tonfas, deciding to give Mule a bit of a break from getting bruised.

A cloud of smoke erupted from the top of the stone flower bud, and when it dissipated, there was a man standing there. Shera blinked, her eyes widening a little. He was wearing sleek blue armor all over, but what she could feel of it, it was all _Seru_.

"**I finally get to see the Ra-Seru heroes who defeated Zeto, and they turn out to be kids!"** A glance to the other three showed Shera that she wasn't the only one confused.

They were all on edge, though, with Vahn in front, both swords out and ready in case they were attacked. Noa was to his right, her tonfa in her free hand and the one that Terra was on curled gently. Shera was to Vahn's left, her tonfa fitting comfortably in her hand as she carefully stretched her right hand. Gala was in the back, likely listening carefully in case anyone came up behind him.

The man jumped down to the ground, almost seeming to appear in a blur in front of them. Shera twitched a little as she got a better look at him. His hair was a pleasant shade of brown, with a few streaks of blonde to lighten it, though it still seemed to have an almost green tinge. What got her attention, though, was the fact that his eyes were a deep crimson, almost the shade of Noa's hair.

"**Who are you?"** Noa popped out of her defensive stance, and Shera bit back a groan. At some point, she was going to have to sit the redhead down and remind her that she can talk without standing easy.

The stranger slid into a pose at the question, and Shera would have sworn that he was grinning, if she'd been able to see his mouth. His eyes were all that showed over the hard mask that covered his nose and mouth.

"**Gi Delilas, at your service!"** The brunette lifted an eyebrow as he glanced to her and – did he wink?! No, she was just imagining it. It was just the Mist playing tricks on her eyesight. The man straightened up again, standing easy as Noa dropped back into her ready stance. **"That Zeto is pretty pitiful to let a bunch of brats like you defeat him."** Gala growled, and Shera glanced over her shoulder at him.

"**You! That Seru you're wearing!"** Shera immediately understood what her companion was getting at. They were surrounded by the Mist, and yet this man was clearly in control of himself, _while wearing a Seru_.

"**Is this a bad person, like Songi and Zeto?"** Shera closed her eyes for a moment and sighed through her nose at Noa. The redhead was learning about the world, yes, but at times she could be maddeningly dense.

"**A 'bad person'? Oh, brother."** And to make it worse, this Gi Delilas guy was rolling his eyes at the little redhead. Shera bristled at that. It was one thing for the people that traveled and worked with Noa to be exasperated by the girl's innocence, but those that had only just laid eyes on her ought to have the politeness to keep their mouths shut.

Not that Noa looked too upset. She just looked a little insulted. Carefully, Shera expanded her awareness, tension leaving her body as her muscles relaxed, ready to move at a moment's notice while not requiring her to focus on one thing at a time.

"**Hey, blue-headed brat! You seem to be the leader of this kindergarten class."** Shera pointed a fierce glare at Gi Delilas for his insult towards her rival. Well, the insult was spread rather evenly over the four of them. To his credit, Vahn simply tilted his head to the side a little so that his bangs would slide out of his eyes.

"**I am the leader, actually. My name is Vahn."** Shera bit back a slight smirk at the cool venom in her childhood friend's voice as he offered his name. On the other hand, it was a little disconcerting to know that he was being calmer than she was in this situation. The strange brunette nodded, his eyes closing a little in a way that Shera realized was smugness.

"**Ah, I knew it." **Gi Delilas flicked his eyes to Shera, who was still glaring at him a bit, and she almost swore that he looked a bit more smug before he turned his eyes back to Vahn. **"Well, Vahn! Let's see how good you are! Fight me one on one!"**

Shera blinked once as the stranger slid into what was probably his ready stance, and lifted an eyebrow. There was something wrong with this guy's head, aside from the Seru, she was sure of it. There was no other reason she could think of for expecting Vahn to accept a one-on-one fight.

"**Hey! How come you want to fight just Vahn and not me? Or Shera!"** Shera was slowly dropping her ready stance, and sent Noa an exasperated look. She wasn't the only one giving the redhead a barely-patient look.

"**One-on-one combat is a Delilas family tradition. I'll fight the two of you later."** Shera narrowed her eyes at the man, and blinked as she realized that _yes_, he winked at her. He got an even odder look for that. **"Well, Vahn? Don't run away. Fight me!"**

Vahn snorted and nodded, stepping forwards to slide into his ready stance. Shera frowned and propped her hand on her hip, scowling at him. This was hardly the place for an honor fight. Especially against someone that they knew nothing about.

"**Most admirable. Now, prepare yourself!"** The stranger dropped into his ready stance as Shera took a couple of steps back, ensuring that she was well out of range of the fight while idly swinging her tonfa.

"**Ah! Older brother!"** Shera blinked at the shout, and looked around. The stranger seemed to frown and dropped his fighting stance, looking up and over his shoulder. Shera immediately tracked his gaze in time to get a glimpse of two figures before they landed on either side behind him. Shera and her companions all stumbled a little to keep their feet as the earth beneath them trembled.

The one that got and kept Shera's attention towered over everyone present. She had no doubt that he was the reason the ground had shook beneath them, especially with the massive hammer that he had slung over his shoulder. Shera noticed with a bit of trepidation that the head of the thing was about as big as she was. The hulk of a man had a shining black Seru all along his right arm and over his right eye. Like the man that he'd called 'older brother', he wore a mask over his nose and mouth, though his was made of fabric.

The other newcomer had vivid pink hair, almost the same color as Cara's. She was petite, but as Shera ran her eyes over her, she could tell that the woman could kick hard, probably harder than the brunette herself could. Her Seru seemed to be made of nothing but tendrils that twined around her in no discernible pattern. Her clothing was primarily purple with a short pink jacket over her shoulders. Like the other two, she wore a mask over the lower half of her face.

The female turned to look up at the brunette, who turned his head to look down at her. **"Older brother..."** The pink-haired woman leaned up to whisper something to him, speaking lowly enough that the Ra-Seru heroes couldn't hear. The only words that Shera managed to catch didn't make any sense, such as 'Nivora' and 'Koru'.

"**I see...Alright, I'll be right there."** Gi Delilas turned his back on the group of travelers. Shera flipped her tonfa so that it rested against her forearm, the sound getting attention on her. Pink and golden eyes focused on her, but she stood easy, shifting her weight to one legs.

"**What are you whispering about there? Who are you?"** Gala hadn't quite dropped out of his ready stance, as wary of these strangers as Shera was. That got Gi Delilas to turn his head to look at them over his shoulder.

"**You want to know our names? Haha! Very well!"** Shera raised one unimpressed eyebrow at the almost theatrical boast that came from the apparent leader of the bizarre group.

The slender but muscular man turned, his eyes looking smug again. Shera frowned, not liking the thought that he was looking down on them all. His tone even hinted that he was speaking to them only because he felt he was in no danger from them.

"**I'm Gi Delilas, expert at delivering a fatal blow to an opponent's body."** Mule hummed in the back of Shera's head, warning her to stay calm. These weren't people to attack recklessly, no matter how much her instincts were screaming at her. Even if the one that was setting her alarm bells off was putting himself into a ridiculous pose to show off.

"**I am Lu Delilas! I strike with lightning speed!"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at the woman, and sniffed a little at the amount of skin that she showed. The pose that she struck made the most of that. It certainly didn't look comfortable to Shera.

"**I am Che Delilas! Brute strength and chaos are what I am about!"** Shera gave the huge man a wary look as he bragged. She wanted to keep as much distance between her and him as possible. She knew he had to hit hard, with that hammer, and what she'd seen of his speed, she had no chance.

The ground shook as the giant smashed his hammer into the ground, leaving a crater by his feet. Shera had to quickly shift her balance to both feet to keep from falling over. She wasn't the only one, either.

"**We are the Delilases!"** Shera gave the three of them a flat look, unimpressed with their shenanigans. She balanced on the balls of her feet as Gi shifted back into a neutral stance once again.

"**Vahn, I thought we could play together, but now I don't have the time. I'll let you live for now! But next time I see you, I'll have your life!"** Shera bristled at the threat, and stepped forwards smoothly so that she was standing by Vahn's side, glaring at the three of them.

None of them relaxed as smoke enveloped the Delilases. Shera shoved her tonfa back into her belt with a slight growl and messed her braid up by running her fingers through the pinned part at the top of her head.

Vahn looked at his childhood friend with a bit of a worried look on his face as Gala turned to look at Noa, who was playfully imitating the pink-haired woman's stance. Shera stretched her neck, trying to rid herself of the tension that came from that surprisingly non-violent confrontation.

"**Noa! What are you doing? We don't have time to play!"** Shera and Vahn both turned to look at the redhead, wondering what Gala was scolding her for this time. Shera tilted her head to the side at the twelve-year-old, propping her hands on her hips.

The redhead whined, and Shera tilted her head back to look at the sky as she sighed again. Her stomach clenched a little, and she winced before stretching her arms.

"**Oh, let her play. We didn't eat much before breaking camp, and my stomach is complaining that I didn't have enough."** Noa cheered as Vahn and Gala blinked at Shera. Vahn shrugged and walked over to the nearest face to sit against it, taking out some of his rations.

Shera followed along after him, and sprawled out on the dry grass as she chewed some of her hardtack. Gala was scowling after Noa as the girl darted around. Shera watched the girl out of the corner of her eye whenever she could, but she just stayed laying on the ground.

"**Hey Vahn?"** The blunette hummed a question, not looking at her, though she'd tilted her head so that she could look at him. **"D'you think I should switch what type of weapon I use? If Mule gets any bigger, I'll be down to one tonfa, and not as effective."** Vahn finally turned his head to look at her, lifting his eyebrows.

"**Huh?"** Shera gave him a flat look, knowing that she'd spoken pretty clearly, and he sighed, humming under his breath as he looked up, buying himself time to think. **"Well, that might depend on what sort of weapon it is. Did Kin test you on any other weapons?"** Shera stared up at the clouds, thinking.

"**Yeah...There weren't too many that he said I showed any promise in, at least in the styles that he knew."** Vahn sighed at that, hearing the hope in her voice.

"**Right. So we'll have to keep our options open until someone finds something that you're good at."** Vahn took a gulp of his canteen and pulled himself to his feet. **"Alright, break's over!"**

Shera accepted Vahn's help up after he shouted to the other two that they were ready to get moving again. Noa scurried back over to them as Shera leaned over the placard of the stone face. She blew away years of dirt and eventually uncovered the lettering.

"'**To visit the past, touch the South Key'...South, that was water."** She pressed on the blue quadrant. It lit up, somehow, and she looked startled before grinning. **"Guys, go find the other three. North is earth, east is wind, and west is fire!"**

The other three nodded, and scattered to the others as Shera turned and looked at the stone flower in the middle of the clearing. Gala had gone to the far side, which was north, while Noa scampered to the eastern face, leaving Vahn for the western one. Shera had to chuckle a little at that. They had all chosen the elements that they were closest to.

As the last element was entered, the ground shook. All of them turned to look at the stone flower as it ground and groaned. Shera stepped towards it hesitantly, tilting her head to the side. Was it going to lift up to reveal a staircase for them to descend, or what?

"**Look! It's moving! The stone is moving! This is so exciting!"** Shera's eyebrows rose as she saw dust and dirt cascade off of the weathered stone. Noa darted around the landmark to cling to Shera's arm, her green eyes gleaming in excitement. The two men walked around to stand by the girls as well, their eyes staying on the centerpiece.

Shera looked confused when the 'petals' of the flower started to shift away from each other. She exchanged glances with Gala, who was probably the one that knew the most about machines out of the four of them.

"**What kind of internal mechanism is this?!"** The brunette snorted softly in amusement. Well, if Gala didn't know what it was, chances were that it wasn't something that she'd understand.

As the 'flower' bloomed, the whole thing sank into the ground a little. It was loud and grating, but the movements were still rather graceful, no matter the dirt and vines that fell off of it in waves.

Finally, it stopped shifting, and with one last loud thud, settled into place. One of the massive petals had shifted farther than the others, dipping to the ground to act as a ramp for them. Shera exchanged glances with Vahn. Both of their eyes were wide.

"**...Well. I can't say I was expecting that."** Shera's voice was almost shocking in the deafening silence after the flower had stopped groaning and grinding. Noa actually jumped and looked up at her, her eyes wide before she relaxed and giggled, darting up the stone to investigate the petals.

"**Look. There's something in the center of the flower."** Shera followed Gala's pointing, and tilted her head to the side, lifting an eyebrow. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, and walked up the stone ramp to the center of the flower.

"**How strange..."** Shera knelt to poke at the bubble, and rubbed her fingers together once she got some of the substance on her fingers. **"It's not water. I'm not quite sure what it is."**

Gala peered over Shera's shoulder, having followed her up the ramp. He frowned a little, peering into the bubble itself, trying to see past it. Shera shifted to the side and stood, bracing one of her feet against the stone petal to her right. Vahn sighed and joined them after a couple of moments, his footing not entirely sure on the polished stone.

"**It looks like there's a door below. It must be the entrance to the path leading to underground Octam."** Vahn paused and looked to Shera, lifting his hand to scratch at his nose. **"Are you going to be alright, Shera? I mean...Last time we were underground for a few days, you got pretty restless quickly."**

Shera blinked at her rival, and shrugged. She honestly didn't know how she was going to react, but she had her partner to help her keep her calm, this time. At the very least, Mule could distract her by telling her how the water stayed out of the underground caverns.

"**Don't exactly have much choice in the matter. The Star Pearl?"** Vahn nodded and dug the dark blue stone out of his satchel. He paused, and then peered at the petal to his right, between himself and Noa. He twisted and brushed his fingers over the stone, and more dirt fell away, revealing indentations that formed the shape of letters.

"'**Know well that the Star Pearl opens the door to the past.' Hunh. Must be where this goes... Whoops."** They all stiffened at the 'whoops', having just watched Vahn carefully place the stone in a hole just under the inscription. There was a moment of silence, and then a loud click. **"Or, that was what was supposed to happen."**

They all turned to look at the bubble as it grew, the door beneath it opening to allow air to rush up into it. Despite the pressure the bubble didn't pop, keeping the Mist out as much as it could. The bubble did tower over their heads, though, standing taller than Gala by far.

"**...Okay. Now or never."** Shera nodded to what Vahn said, and watched as he carefully pushed through the bubble. He paused once he was inside and waved to the others to show that it was safe before approaching the actual door. He slipped once he was at it, and fell inside.

Shera was at the door in an instant, having not even thought before pushing through the bubble. She relaxed as she saw that what they'd thought was a door was actually a slide. She smiled to the other two before sitting and carefully starting down the slide herself.

The slide down to the path was a fair bit rougher than she'd expected, and she skidded out the end a fair bit faster than she'd anticipated, tumbling into Vahn, who yelped and landed flat on his back. With Shera on top of him.

"**Ow..."** Shera blinked at Vahn, whose face was right beneath hers, and then quickly scrambled off of him, her face turning a bright red. **"Shera?"**

"**I'm alright. Just got a couple of bumps and bruises. Uh, might want to get out of the way..."** Vahn blinked at Shera's suggestion, and then realized that he could hear Noa's shrieks of delight approaching at a fast pace. He scooted to the side as the redhead went sliding past, laughing all the way.

Shera moved to help Noa up and tugged her out of the way of Gala, who tried to slow down but ended up stopping farther than the rest of them. The brunette snickered a little at him, but helped him up as well, ignoring the glare that he was pointing at her.

"**Definitely not the 'path' that I was expecting."** Shera grinned at Gala, and then looked around. He did as well, and moved closer to the wall to take a look at it. **"Pick axe marks. Someone worked the stone here."** Shera ran her bare hand over the wall, and felt the ridges.

"**So someone prepared the path for us to find the Octam refugees. I think I can live with that."** Vahn shrugged at the two of them and started to walk down the cleared pathway.

"**There's still Mist, though. Be careful."** Shera and Gala exchanged glances before following after Vahn. There was only one way for them to go, so it wasn't like a defensive formation was especially critical.

After they'd been walking for a while, Noa, out in the front, yelped with surprise before cheering. She came running back with a wide grin on her face and tugged Vahn forwards without a word. Shera, behind the blunette, tilted her head to the side and followed as well.

Someone had left a box, similar in design to the ones left near Genesis Trees. The only difference was that there was a lock on this one. Not that the lock did much, as it disintegrated at Vahn's first touch, flakes of rust scattering as it crashed to the stone floor.

They all stared at the lock for a moment before Vahn shrugged and lifted the lid. His eyebrows shot up immediately as he carefully lifted out the contents of the chest, starting with a letter.

"'**To the Heroes of Ra-Seru: It is our most fervent hope that you will arrive in time to brighten the hopes of all those who flee the Mist. These are tokens of that wish.'"** Shera lifted an eyebrow at the short message, and moved her right hand over the box to take a better look for herself.

Glass glinted within the rotting confines. A container with the preserved buds of a healing plant was in Vahn's hand. Shera plucked a bottle from inside of the box and turned it in her hand, finding the label. Gala had pulled another from the box, and looked shaken.

"**A Miracle Water...These are...very rare."** Shera blinked at that, and then looked back to her bottle. It was a Wonder elixir, something else that she was sure was rare.

"**Oh, shiny!"** Noa's hand flashed into the box and pulled out a ring, which she admired in the light that Terra gave off. The other two bottles weren't quite as shocking as the ones they had pulled out, one containing a Magic Leaf, and the other a Shield Elixir.

"**These blessed water things help fighters, right? We have a few of them."** Gala nodded to Vahn, as they sat and organized who was going to carry what. **"We should use some of them. They're just taking up space and extra weight that we could be without. Shera, you take the Miracle Water, you could use some all-around help."**

The brunette grimaced at the indelicate way her rival had worded that, but pulled at the wax-sealed cork on the bottle anyway. There was another Swift Water that Gala got, and Noa got one of the Power Waters while Vahn got the other one. The Magic Water was handed to Shera for her to down the next time she felt thirsty, seeing as she was grimacing at the taste of mint in the Miracle Water. Vahn accepted the Wisdom Water that the others argued him into keeping for himself for when he next needed a drink, and Noa got the Guardian Water for the same purpose.

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**End Notes:** Yeah, I'm too tired to do too much more writing. One thing I'd like to say, though. Constructive criticism on the chapter is better for me than just 'chapter was good'. If you can't really think of much, just tell me what you thought was cute, or awesome, or just what made you laugh the most. Getting the information that people like it doesn't help me improve any. Constructive criticism does.

Reviews help me update faster!

**_Read, enjoy, and review!_**


	23. Over the Edge

**Author's note:** Wow this took longer than I had anticipated to get out. Sorry about that, folks. My creative juices were headed in an entirely different direction for a while, so I didn't have the motivation to work on this. I'm working on it now, though!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Legaia franchise.

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Chapter 22: Over the Edge

"**Seru!"** The call echoed through the tunnel, and all four travelers moved, grabbing for their weapons. Shera, the one to raise the alarm, brought her tonfa between herself and the scythe-like arm of the Seru that she'd noticed.

"**Mushroom as well!"** Shera cursed under her breath as she brought her right hand – empty now, as she'd promised Mule she'd stop using a tonfa in that hand – back, cocked for a punch to the Seru's face. The thing screeched in pain when the blow connected, and she ducked under it as it flailed its blades at her again.

"**What is it with wind-type Seru and blades?!"** A slight laugh came from one of the others as she fought to make room for one of them to join her. The other two were already pummeling the living mushroom-like creature, she could tell.

Finally, Noa stepped in next to Shera, sliding under the Seru and pounding it with both her fists. Her tonfa had broken a few hours ago, and she hadn't adjusted to the spare one that Shera had given to her.

A pained wheeze came from behind Shera, and she stiffened before realizing that it hadn't sounded like either of the boys. She slipped past Noa after that thought passed through her head, and snapped a kick at the Seru, driving it out of the orbs of light that came from the Ra-Seru.

It came back seconds later, only to meet Noa's fist once again. It screeched faintly and dissolved into sparkles that merged with Terra. The sounds of battle echoed away in the tunnels, and Shera heaved a sigh, leaning against the wall and sliding to a seated position.

"**You alright?"** The brunette looked up at Vahn, who was offering her a hand up, and took the help, still panting a little. She had to take another step forwards so that she wouldn't fall on her face, and wiped at her forehead with her left forearm.

"**Yeah, I'm fine. Just feeling a bit tired. That makes Gala and Noa both with the new Seru?"** She looked over towards the other two, who nodded at her. **"Alright. Cool. Can we stop somewhere to camp soon?"**

"**Yeah, we can. I think it's about nightfall up on the surface. Gala, you didn't get hit by any spores, did you?"** The ex-monk shook his head. Even he looked tired. **"Good. Let's find a niche that we can be sure won't cave in and bed down."**

Shera dug out some of her travel rations from her satchel and gnawed on it a little as they walked. They were all exhausted, from walking and killing Seru and living mushrooms that had decided they looked edible, as well as these strange almost humanoid-amphibians that creeped out everyone.

"**How's this one?"** Shera blinked at Noa, who had apparently been looking for a niche and was pointing at one. Gala stepped forwards to investigate the niche. Finally, he stepped back out and nodded to Vahn.

"**Defendable, and no fractures in the stone. It's large enough to fit the four of us snugly, but we'll still have to keep watch."** Vahn sighed wearily and nodded.

"**Bed for the night, then. If it is night."** Shera rolled her eyes and stepped into the niche. As Gala said, it would be snug for the four of them. **"I'll take first watch."** The brunette sighed with relief as she pressed her back to the wall and curled up. Within moments, Mule started his normal light glow, and she was fast asleep.

Gala blinked at how quickly Shera fell asleep, but he succumbed to sleep almost as quickly. Vahn settled himself by the entrance to the miniature cave as Noa sprawled out in the space left between the two brunettes.

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Shera dreamed of green. The plants surrounding her seemed foreign, unlike the grasses of the plains or the warm emerald of the forests. These were a paler green, with a fair bit of grey mixed in.

The wisps of white that swirled around the plants didn't seem like the Mist, either. It cleared out occasionally, and the Mist never did that.

Wingbeats made Shera look up, but before she spotted whatever it was that had made the sound, she woke up to the darkness of the underground. She sighed and turned her head to Vahn, who had just woken her up.

"**Your turn for watch."** The brunette yawned and nodded, uncurling herself to step over Noa's leg and crouch where Vahn had been when she'd gone to sleep. She kept her tonfa to hand, listening rather than looking for threats.

"**I'll tell you when your turn for watch is over.****"** Shera smiled and sent a surge of gratitude towards Mule, and occupied herself with identifying the sounds that echoed towards her.

She also found herself pondering the information that Mule had been feeding to her to keep her from getting horribly bored. They were in a seam of stone that was impermeable to water, hence why the tunnels, despite being under the level of the sea, weren't flooded. The stone had been created by a volcano, which, now that Shera thought about it, was likely the mountain that lay to the east of Octam. Perhaps they were underneath it currently? The Gate of Shadows and Octam were on the same island, after all.

With that thought in mind, Shera realized that they were probably within a day or so of their destination, if it was directly underneath Octam. They'd had to take the long way around to get to the gate. Had they been able to go over the mountains, they'd have been able to get there within a few days.

But they hadn't been able to go over the mountain because of the sheer cliffs that they were unable to manage. They hadn't even had to take a close look at the mountain to see that, thanks to how tall the cliffs were. Well, that and they didn't really know the first thing about how to properly scale a mountain. They'd been lucky when it came to Mount Rikuroa.

The sound of someone shifting behind her made Shera twitch, and she turned her head to look. She relaxed only when she saw that Gala's eyes were open, reflected in the light that Ozma was giving off.

"**You startled me."** Gala's head jerked until he realized that Shera had been the one to speak. His lips quirked in a smirk, and he stretched slowly, making sure to not wake Noa or Vahn.

"**Sorry. How long have you been on watch?"** Shera blinked and turned her attention to Mule, who was quiet for a few moments. Gala waited as well, knowing that telling time was all but impossible while underground.

"**Several hours. It should be time for the changing of the watch now.****"** Shera blinked at that, and shrugged. It hadn't felt like she'd been up for several hours, but Mule undoubtedly had a better sense of time than she did.

"**Alright. I'll take over, then." **Shera nodded, and stood carefully. She waited for Gala to pick his way over to where she was before tiptoeing her way to where he'd been curled up to sleep. For a moment, she wondered if her dreams would take her back to wherever she'd been before Vahn woke her, but she figured that if it happened, it happened.

Mule started to glow a little stronger, and Shera smiled as she fell asleep. It was a comforting feeling, this. Like being hugged, only no one was physically touching her.

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The next time that Shera woke, the other three were up. Vahn and Gala were stretching in the main passageway as Noa stretched out in the niche. At some point, Shera had slid over so that she was laying curled up on her side, with Mule tucked under her ear.

Noa chirped a greeting to Shera as the brunette stretched. Shera mumbled something in reply before yawning, and took her armor off for a moment to stretch properly. Vahn poked his head into the niche after a few minutes, and blinked as he saw Shera in the process of bending herself in half.

"**Morning."** Shera grunted a greeting to Vahn before pushing herself back up into a sitting position and cracking her jaw with a yawn. **"You were sleeping pretty deeply."** Shera gave her rival a bland look, and he smiled lopsidedly. **"Right, I forgot. It takes a few minutes for you to wake up if there isn't fighting going on when there's no sunlight."**

Noa moved to fix Shera's braid as the brunette mechanically ate some of her rations. By the time they were both done, Shera was awake enough to start walking.

"**So how far towards Octam are we, Meta?"** Shera glanced towards Vahn as he voiced the question that they all had buzzing around in their heads. There was a moment of silence before the Ra-Serus echoed back the answer to their partners.

"**We should get there near the end of the day if the tunnels don't turn into a maze.****"** Shera snorted t that. The chances of the tunnels not being maze-like was slim, she knew that much. Mule had impressed the knowledge that nature didn't always move in straight lines on her.

"**So within the next two days at most."** Vahn's dry tone suggested that he'd been told the same thing at some point. Shera snorted a little, and started to spin her tonfa.

They were all getting used to the lack of that sound. Shera most of all was used to it, always being so close to the source of the sound. She occasionally moved her right arm, and felt something was off until she realized that she no longer was using a right hand tonfa.

By what they figured was midday, they had discovered a new type of enemy. It looked to be similar to the flying spikefish that they'd found, only colored dark gray to blend in with the cave.

They didn't make it to wherever the refugees from Octam were by the time they were exhausted again, but both Vahn and Shera had managed to absorb the powers of the Nova, the wind-type Seru that they'd been encountering.

The niche that they found was big enough for them all to sit and lay down comfortably, while still small enough for them to defend with ease. Unlike the night before, though, they didn't get to rest peacefully. Twice during Shera's watch and once during Noa's, they were attacked, and all of them got up.

After killing the monsters that attacked during Noa's watch, they decided they'd all gotten as much sleep as they were bound to get, and set off again. None of them were in a terribly good mood, though, each of them nursing an assortment of scrapes and bruises.

Finally, they reached an area where none of them would feel quite so claustrophobic. Unfortunately, that area happened to be a chasm that they were going to have to cross. Shera in particular balked, much to everyone's surprise.

After Vahn and Gala proved that the bridge wasn't going to fall, she finally started to cross, but still looked rather pale in the light blue glow that came from her Ra-Seru. Noa had been completely fearless in crossing the bridge, going so far as to skip over the man-made structure. It wasn't like the thing had had been without railings.

The chasm was bottomless, as far as they could tell, because of how much Mist there was. None of them wanted to find out how their Ra-Seru would react to so much dense Mist, as the Mist where they were was dense enough, but what lay below them was almost a blanket of the stuff.

What got them all unnerved was the fact that the next bridge that they had to cross was a rope and wood bridge, and they had no way to tell how long it had been there. Noa, being the lightest, went first to test it. She went to the far side and came back, just to tell them that the rope was in good condition all the way across and nothing was rotting.

Still, Shera just about froze halfway across when a spikefish jostled the bridge. The others had to take the monster out from a distance before Vahn went and coaxed the brunette to solid ground.

When she got there, she was shaking, and had to sit for quite some time. Vahn knelt next to her, his eyes on her as he rested one of his arms across her shoulders.

"**You never showed a fear of heights before."** The brunette blushed, looking down at Mule, who was glowing brightly, doing his best to keep her from having a full-blown panic attack.

"**It's not the heights so much as the danger of falling."** She drank some of her water, and took several deep breaths to calm down. **"I was fine with trees and the like, but...Heh. You never noticed that I stayed well away from the edge of the Sky Gardens, did you?"**

Vahn blinked, a thoughtful look crossing his face. It was true, he realized. When they'd first discovered that there were no railings on the walkway at the Sky Gardens, there had been a slight flash of fear on Shera's face, and she had indeed kept at least a yard between herself and the edge.

"**You should have said something."** The blunette hugged his childhood friend gently, feeling that her tremors were fading. **"I wouldn't have insisted that we all go one at a time, if I'd known.** Shera shook her head, her breathing finally completely even again.

"**So long as it's not a bridge like that one, I should be fine."** Gala and Noa were both hovering over the brunette until the woman gave them both a look that stated she wasn't pleased with the extra attention.

"**Well, we shouldn't be too far from the outer limits of Octam, were we on the surface.****"** Everyone's attention slid to Mule as he piped up. **"****We do have one more bridge to cross, though. And, sorry, Shera, but it seems to be roughly the same type as the one we just crossed.****"** The brunette cringed at that, and sighed as Vahn helped her to her feet.

True to his word, the blunette didn't make Shera cross on her own. Gala volunteered to walk across with Shera so that Vahn could go and keep Noa in line, as well as to back her up if she got attacked.

There were a couple of times where Shera froze as the bridge was jostled. Gala waited a moment until he was sure that the woman wasn't going to move on her own and then cajoled her into putting one foot in front of the other. He was walking behind her, too, keeping her from backing off of the bridge.

Shera was shaking again by the time they reached the far side of the bridge, and Vahn made her sit before she got ill. She certainly looked like she was about to be ill, pale and glassy eyed. She was even panting in short breaths the way someone who was trying to keep from retching did.

Vahn made her drink some water while Gala and Noa scouted ahead a bit. They came back at a run, Noa with a wide grin on her face. The two from Rim Elm gave them odd looks as Noa bounced up and down in place, cutting herself off mid-sentence in excitement. Shera finally turned her head to look at Gala, who merely looked relieved.

"**We're literally about a hundred feet from the cavern the refugees are in."** Shera sighed in relief, her shoulders sagging. It was rather late, from what they'd been aware of, and having panic attacks had done nothing for her energy levels.

"**Good. Shera, are you alright to walk?"** The brunette nodded, but still grunted as she was hauled to her feet. She realized something was missing, and groaned as she discovered that her tonfa was missing. The others gave her an odd look.

"**My tonfa fell while I was crossing the bridge."** Vahn grimaced a little at that, and Gala sighed, rubbing his face. **"It seems like bad things happen to me whenever we go underground."** Vahn snorted softly in amusement at that, but didn't deny that it certainly seemed to be the case.

"**Well, we'll just have to find you a new weapon of some sort with the refugees."** Shera nodded, and started to walk down the curved corridor that was the last part of the path.

As it turned out, Gala actually overestimated how far from the cavern they were. Shera cringed when she saw the cavern, though. Every building that the refugees were living in, while well built, lay on pedestals of stone that were connected by bridges. Most of the bridges were stone, thankfully, including the one that connected the ledge they were on to the nearest pedestal.

"**At least they have railings."** Shera glanced over her shoulder at Vahn, a slightly irked look on her face for his comment. **"It's true."** He hesitated a moment, before cupping her elbow, a concerned look on his face. **"I'll walk with you, this time. Just in case."**

For a moment, Vahn thought that Shera would refuse, but she finally simply nodded, a bit of tension leaving her frame. Vahn let out a breath he hadn't thought he was holding, and smiled at her.

"**Look at all the people!"** Noa's exclamation turned Shera's attention to the refugees below as they went about their lives. Most of the houses were made out of stone, and there was only one that was above one level. The rest were sprawling structures, taking up most of the pedestal that they rested on.

"**Shall we find our way down to them?"** Shera turned her head to look at Gala, and nodded. She hesitated as Noa darted down the bridge, and sent a nervous look to Vahn before starting down the bridge herself. Gala waited for them to be most of the way down before starting himself.

The presence of the railings did help Shera a great deal, though she wished that it was something sturdier than rope strung between wooden pylons set into tamped dirt. More than once, she felt the wood shift under her hand.

By the time they reached the platform holding the nearest building, Noa was bouncing in place talking to someone. Shera barely caught the word 'Hari' in the babble of words erupting from the redhead's mouth.

The brunette strode over and gently placed her hand over Noa's mouth with a sigh, smiling apologetically at the woman that had been getting assaulted by the twelve-year-old's excitement.

"**I apologize for her. She's still learning how to behave in public."** The weary resignment in Shera's voice got a giggle from the woman, and Shera relaxed. She didn't want to have to deal with someone who Noa had accidentally insulted when she was feeling so tired.

"**It's quite alright. That's how most children act when they are excited, is it not."** The woman cast a look at the hand that Shera had used to cover Noa's mouth. It was her right hand. **"Oh! Is...Is that a Ra-Seru?"** Shera hesitated before nodding.

The word 'Ra-Seru' got the attention of other people nearby, and soon they were surrounded by excited, chattering people, all of them trying to make conversation with them. Eventually, men in suits of armor waded through and formed a fence between the travelers and the excited people of Octam. The leader of them, a man with a bright red tassel on his helmet, smiled wearily at the four of them.

"**Apologies for the fuss. If you'd like, we'll take you to the mayor so that everyone can calm down enough to not mob you for news."** Shera blinked as she realized that the soldier's eyes were on her, and she turned to look at Vahn, who was standing behind her.

"**Yeah, that'd be nice. We've...encountered excited crowds before."** Shera snorted at Vahn's understatement, and crossed her arms, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She was tired, fairly dirty, and sore. She wanted to sleep, or, barring that, a bath, preferably warm.

"**Right. Follow me."** The man turned around and scowled at the crowd, the reassuring nature fading instantly. **"All of you should be ashamed! Harrassing exhausted travelers like this! Return to your duties and wait for new to trickle out!"**

Many of the Octam natives had the dignity to look embarrassed, and many did indeed trickle away. The ones that remained, though, the soldiers had to push back. The men in armor formed a barrier around the travelers and led them along the bridges to the lone building that had more than one level.

There were many more people in the building, but they all were respectful enough to keep their distance. Shera was all but leaning on Vahn, exhausted enough that she didn't care if people were staring.

"**Mayor!"** A man that looked like he had once seen plumper days looked up from the mass of paperwork that surrounded him on his desk. Shera would have laughed if she had the energy to, his appearance seemed so ridiculous to her.

He wore half-moon glasses perched on his nose, and his graying hair had apparently been receding for so long that it created a ledge just above his hair. He wore crumpled and ink-stained clothes. All in all, he looked more like a clerk than a mayor.

"**Yes? Has something happened? I didn't feel a quake."** The soldier leading the travelers smiled a little and gestured them to enter the room. Shera had to bite back a yawn, but she was wobbling a little on her feet.

"**Something has indeed happened, but it was not a quake. These four travelers arrived from the eastern tunnels. They bear Seru that aren't affected by the Mist!"** With that, the Mayor seemed to come to life. He pushed away from his desk and strode over to investigate the four travelers.

"**Mm? They do appear to be in control of themselves."** The mayor looked at Shera, and frowned, concerned. **"But they also seem exhausted. My apologies, friends,"** he spoke directly to them now. **"I'll have one of the servants make some beds for the four of you shortly. You seem to have quite the ordeal."**

Vahn smiled faintly at the mayor, though his attention was on keeping Shera from falling over with her exhaustion. His hand was on the small of her back so that he was constantly aware of what she was doing.

"**We'd appreciate it, thank you."** The mayor smiled at them and pulled on a cord. Vahn noted that he could hear a bell ring somewhere. Shera rubbed at her face, and Vahn watched her with a fond smile on his face.

"**I would offer a bath first, but it seems like some of you would fall asleep in the water."** The mayor nodded towards Gala, who was slouching a little until attention was drawn to him. Shera chuckled sleepily.

"**We've been walking and fighting for a few weeks. We've gotten used to fighting all day, but it leaves us no less tired when we stop."** The mayor nodded, and then told the woman that arrived to set up four beds for the travelers, as well as bring a small meal for them.

"**I suppose you haven't been eating as well as you should have, either."** Shera and Vahn both shook their heads. The mayor smiled at them for that, and gestured for them to sit down at a small table that was sitting nearby. The soldier had pulled five chairs around it, and was finally standing at the door, ready for instructions. **"That ought to be fixed soon enough. Our supplies aren't as great as I'd like, but we do have a balanced diet."**

Shera almost fell asleep waiting for the food, but once the simple sandwiches arrived, she devoured her portion hungrily. She looked a bit more awake for the food, but still seemed to be ready to fall asleep.

They talked for a while, filling the mayor in on the basic idea of what had been happening on the surface. When the woman that had arrived to receive the message to make four beds for the travelers returned, the mayor lifted his hand to make Vahn stop.

"**It seems your accomadations have been prepared. We will speak more after you've rested."** Vahn smiled a bit and nodded, pulling himself to his feet. He had to shake Shera a little before she responded, and gently tugged her towards the door.

Had they been still traveling while she was in this state, Vahn would have stopped them already to camp. As it was, Shera was moving without seeming to know or care where she was going. Mule didn't even glow when she curled up on the clean sheets of the bed.

Vahn chuckled silently and took Shera's boots off for her, leaving her with her armor on so that he didn't have to risk waking her up again.

Gala, at least, had managed to take his own boots and armor off before falling fast asleep in the bed. By the time Vahn was sitting on the bed he'd claimed, the ex-monk was snoring lightly.

Noa fell asleep surprisingly fast as well, especially considering how much she'd been moving around. Vahn felt a little bad about making the white sheets dirty, but like the mayor had said, it wasn't like any of them really had the energy to stay awake through a bath. Especially as Shera had pretty much fallen asleep sitting in that chair.

Vahn sighed with relief as he lay back on his own bed, and was almost instantly asleep. He didn't dream, as far as he knew. He was certainly disoriented when he woke up, though, pushing himself and peering around through eyes encrusted with sleep gunk.

"**Morning, Vahn."** Shera's perky greeting made the blunette grunt and turn to look at her. She was wearing clean clothing, and her hair was done up so that it wouldn't drip on her, as it was still quite wet. **"Don't tell me you were more tired than I was."** Meta's partner shook his head, rubbing at his eyes.

"**Mmn. No, just...where are we?"** Shera laughed outright at that, and sat on the bed she'd slept in the night before. She propped one bare foot on the edge of the mattress, wrapping her arms around her raised knee.

"**In the caverns under Octam. We arrived last night. I'm rather sure I was half-asleep by the time we arrived, though I do remember having panic attacks on the bridges."** Vahn paused for a moment and looked towards the ceiling before nodding. He remembered that as well.

"**Yeah, okay, I remember. Still kinda tired, but I remember."** Shera snorted at that, and extended her other leg, rotating her foot in a circle until her ankle cracked. **"How long've you been up?"** Shera glanced to Mule, who glowed briefly, and then looked back to Vahn.

"**About an hour. I haven't eaten yet. Noa and Gala are still bathing, I think. I woke up first."** Vahn nodded at that, and yawned widely, his jaw cracking.

"**You went to sleep first, too."** Shera smiled a bit at that and nodded before grimacing as her stomach growled. **"Go ahead and get some food without us. Just don't get mobbed by people, alright?"**

Shera snorted at Vahn's words, and waved a hand at him as she stood and padded out of the room, leaving her boots behind. Vahn blinked after her for a moment, wondering exactly when the brunette had become prone to walking barefoot when she could.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

When Vahn found Shera again, she was holding a conversation with the soldier that had led them to the mayor's mansion. He wasn't wearing his armor, dressed as simply and practically as they all had taken to.

Shera waved when she spotted her childhood friend, grinning slightly. There was a steaming pot of soup sitting next to them, along with a couple of large loaves of bread that they'd cut into. Noa and Gala hadn't arrived yet, it seemed, but knowing Noa, it was entirely likely that she'd been sidetracked and Gala was keeping an eye on her.

"**Vahn! Damon offered to teach me how to use a spear!"** The blunette blinked a couple of times at Shera before lifting an eyebrow at the soldier as the man tore another chunk of bread off of one of the loaves.

"**She told me about how she was thinking about learning another style. The movements for a spear aren't too different from a tonfa that's been scaled up. There's a few minor things, but I think she'll be able to learn it."** Vahn sat down as the soldier, Damon, chewed his chunk of bread. While he waited for the man to continue, Vahn served himself some soup.

"**Not to mention he says that he was taught the style by a Biron monk, so it's possible to just integrate it with what I already know."** Vahn blinked again at Shera, almost wondering if she was truly being serious until he remembered that, when it came to fighting, Shera was always serious.

"**And the chances of losing it off a bridge without noticing is much less."** Shera blushed at that. Vahn smirked into his soup. If he guessed right, she hadn't been planning on letting the man know that that was how she'd lost her tonfa.

Noa barged into the room then, her hair barely damp yet. Vahn almost spilled his soup as the redhead latched onto him, whining something loudly. The fact that Shera snickered told him that his aggravation was showing clearly on his face, so he quickly hid the emotion.

"**Well, if you'd waited, I'd have told you that you have to wait to talk to Hari. He doesn't wake up often."** Vahn blinked at Damon for the gentle chiding that he gave to Noa, handing Gala a bowl as the ex-monk sat.

"**Wait, what?"** The blunette blinked to Shera, who was sipping at her soup. She didn't look surprised, so it looked like he was the last one to know. While he wasn't surprised that Shera was keeping him out of the loop, it was unusual for the other two to.

"**Hari sleeps in between giving prophecies. While he sleeps, he communes with Rem, the god of time, so that he may give more prophecies when he wakes."** Vahn sighed at the explanation, and grabbed one of the loaves of bread to rip a chunk off.

"**So we don't even know how long we'll have to wait."** The others shook their head, and Vahn heaved another sigh. **"Well, at least you'll have the time to learn the spear, Shera."** The brunette smiled brightly at that, getting the go-ahead to start learning the weapon from Damon.

Not that she'd needed it. Vahn knew that even if he'd told her no, she would have ended up doing it anyhow. She wasn't rebellious, she just took matters into her own hands. It was the same with how she'd learned to fight back in Rim Elm. Juno had known that no one would be able to stop Shera from fighting if she really wanted to.

Of course, the fact that Shera had been strong-willed from the get-go was a good indicator of that. Vahn still remembered seeing her for the first time, salt-encrusted, damp, scared, and lashing out at everyone around her.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

**End notes:** Aaaand I almost made an oops. I nearly posted the chapter that goes after this instead of this one! Guh. Oh well, I caught it before anyone else saw it. Now... ~steeples fingers together~ For the reactions.

_**Read, enjoy, and review!**_


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